Slytherin Marauders
by RabidOrochimaruOtaku
Summary: Severus is astonished to find that a girl was abandoned who lived in Hogwarts, and even more so once he hears her name. He recognized her, & knows she won't recognize him, but what will he do when she wants to know more about her past through him? What will he do when she turns to him for comfort and guidance? He'll get confused during that, but even more so when she falls in love?
1. Enter The Leaders

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

italics is either writing or thoughts. it will be specified by context.

* * *

"No!" the brunette screamed loudly. "Please! I'll do anything!"

"Get out!" a woman roared angrily. "Get out, you monster! And don't come back!"

"But sweetheart," the man said, looking at his daughter's beating from her step-mother. "Please, give her a chance!"

"No!" the woman screamed loudly. "I gave her a chance! I'm tired of her always causing freakish things to happen around me! get her out of my sight! If I see you one more time in this place after tonight, I will kill you! I may not have brought you into this world, but I will TAKE. YOU. OUT!"

The five-year old sobbed as she ran to her bedroom. She packed her backpack with her most important things – her wallet with her ID, her clothes, a bunch of ramen packets, her glasses, her cosplays that she'd made, and her two comfort objects, a plush snake and a Sound _Naruto _headband. Within minutes, she was bursting out of her room, her backpack and large duffel bag stuffed to the brim with the things that she'd need, and she raced out into the summer night air, never to see her biological father again or to ask him what her mother had been talking about before.

O.O.O.O.O.O

She was fast asleep, not knowing where she was, or caring. All she knew was that she was alone with no home to return to, nobody to love her, and nobody to comfort her in her time of need or be her friend.

"Why did I have to be a monster?" she sobbed into her sleeping bag, curling up into a tight ball. "Why?"

O.O.O.O.O.O

"Why?" Sarah murmured on the full moon. Animals were attracted to her, and she was able to control them somehow. Suddenly, an owl appeared, carrying a letter.

_Meet me at the nearest grocery store in an hour and a half. If we are not to meet there, then the nearest clearing with a deer in it will do. I want to restart something that has long since been thought dead, and I'll need your help to do so. _

_Mr. Hunter_

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Harry grinned as the dramatic fanfare began playing as Headmistress McGonagall sat down at the front desk. All of a sudden, words began forming in the clouds.

_We will return to haunt you, Queen of Tabbies! Enemies of the Marauders beware, for their successors are gathering! Their Currently Nameless Leader P.S. I will kidnap one teacher as ransom for your cruel actions while a near, dear, and extremely close friend of mine was a student at Hogwarts. Until you issue an apology, I will kidnap who I deem worthy or fit to praise or punish._

The fanfare ended, and the hall was silent. Minerva looked over to Harry, only to find him gone in a wisp of smoke. The students began panicking, all sense of order completely gone.

SQSQSQSQSQSQSQSQ

"You want to _what_?" Harry asked Snape incredulously. "You want to rebuild the Marauders?"

"Yes," Snape replied curtly. "I've seen how the castle is without the Weasley twins, and I want to go back to being a happy bastard. Thus, until I find my future wife, I will go about following the Marauders footsteps, only it will be _all _houses that will suffer."

"Okay," Harry grinned. "And I want in as the son of Mr. Prongs of the original marauders. What is my codename going to be?"

"Hunter," Snape replied. "I will need you to meet our next member in a forest for me. If she is not there, keep an eye out for our third member at Hogwarts – she will likely not be sorted into any house."

"You got it. What should I call you?" Harry beamed, and Severus stopped.

"I'll get back to you on that," he replied, and Harry nodded as he went back, pale and wide-eyed.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

The Great Hall was alarmed at their next meal by the return of their Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. Ron was now the Care of Magical Creatures Professor while Hermione taught Arithmancy. Harry, who was eager to get back to prank wars, was forced to wait for the third member of the Marauders, who wasn't ready yet.

"I'm fine," Harry said shakily. "He said that he wanted his gang to be rebuilt. He said he was finishing what my dad started and that all persons, staff included, were in danger of his prank wrath. Nobody is safe, not even… oh god… mommy…"

Harry collapsed, Severus' potions taking effect now that he'd delivered the message. The students were, once again, in a panic. Luckily for the school, it was merely a draught of Living Death, and Harry was fine, with no recollection of the occurrences a few hours later when he awoke.

SDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSD

"Hunter, where are you?" Sarah called out, but there was no reply. An owl swooped in, again carrying a letter, and she opened it.

_I apologize for taking Mr. Hunter away from you. I am the leader, and I request your assistance in finding Mr. Hunter once you go to the school he teaches at. You will know him, he is a copy of Mr. Prongs, and you will ensure that you are not to be sorted until I return to school to teach Chemistry. Anon._

"Suit yourself, anonymous leader," Sarah whispered before curling up to go to sleep.

HPHPHPHPHP(**Five Years Later**)HPHPHPHP

"I was wondering who would teach Defense," Snape sneered. "And who, pray tell, is still standing in the center of the aisle?"

"Ah," she replied curtly. "That is Miss Denning. She is going into her fifth year, and the hat has been unable to sort her."

"Holy crap, eye candy," the teen muttered. He reached out with his mind to hers. _I am the leaders of the new marauders. Do not fret, I will pretend to be an ass, but I am fine. I wish for you to join me and Mr. Hunter in our new group. _

'_I will join the Marauders,' _she replied as the hat went onto her head. '_What house are you in?_'

'_I cannot tell you,_' Severus replied silently into her mind. '_Please remain unsorted_.'

"I cannot place her," the hat announced at long last, and there was again an uproar from all the houses at this proclamation. Granted, the houses all hated her, but she was also able to do wonderful things that had yet to earn no houses any points, and so nobody was rewarded but her.

"ENOUGH!" he roared angrily, his magic flaring out after so long of disuse. "YOU WILL TREAT HER WITH RESPECT AND WILL NOT HARM HER IN ANY WAY, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BASTARDS! I WILL SLAP EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU THAT TRIES TO FATALLY OR PERMANENTLY HARM HER IN DETENTION, OR MY NAME ISN'T SEVERUS SNAPE AND I'M NOT THE POTIONS MASTER OF THIS SCHOOL!"

He could have sworn he heard crickets chirping just after his announcement. He sat down with a dramatic huff and looked at Harry, who was grinning widely.

"This is going to be fun," they grinned maniacally. "All we need now is a final pawn in the chessboard!"

* * *

Okay, so this is another Snape romance fanfic, as you can see. Just a warning, it's after the war in this fanfic, and so Snape will be very growing more and more OOC as the fic goes on after a while. Yes, he still has his temper, but she'll be able to combat it quickly after her own kicks in. Who is she? You'll see in time my dear readers, if you continue to grace me with your attention.

Please review, it's appaling to have a cumulative of six reviews for _all_ my stories right now…

This Author's Comment was posted 7/11/12. The review number may or may not be up.


	2. Trouble Brewing

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"As you can see," Harry announced to the group of fifth years. "I feel the need to renew and see what you all will have learned over the past years. Everyone in their fourth year and above will challenge this boggart, so please, do not fully destroy it. Miss Denning, I request that you go last. I'm not sure what form your boggart would take, but I'm not sure I want to find out without everyone else taking their turn."

"Yes, sir," she murmured in shame.

"You aren't in trouble," Harry said firmly. "You are merely one that has been through too much for someone so young, and it reminds me of my own distinct past. Ah, Professor Snape, how nice of you to join us! Here to watch the little maggots squirm?"

"Yes," he sneered.

The class was soon erupting in laughter at the various forms of fears-turned-humor, but to Sarah's astonishment, her worst fear wasn't her mother – it was fear itself in the form of a dementor. She grinned, both terrified of the dementor and ecstatic about her plan of action.

"Ridikkulus!" she shouted happily and her dementor became a shape that Harry and Snape never thought they'd ever see in their right minds.

Severus burst out into laughing fits as a pink-clad snake-like man hopped and weaved around the room on twinkle toes. Harry had burst out laughing, choking out that he couldn't believe it as his companion professor was startling any and every student in the room aside from Sarah.

"One hundred points to whichever house this kid's in," Severus gasped as he finally caught a breather.

"Sir, what exactly _was _that?" one of the Gryffindors asked confused.

"Voldemort … in a tutu…What else?" Severus rasped through a fit of chuckling. "I could celebrate."

"One day, Professor Snape," Harry said sadly. "One day. Until then, class dismissed! Miss Denning, stay behind!"

"I'm sorry, that was out of line," she giggled as the other students left the room in fits of laughter.

"No, it wasn't," Severus laughed. "Child, how would you like to join the Marauders?"

"Really?" she gasped, wide-eyed, and he nodded. "You're the leader?"

"Yes," Snape replied with a smirk. "And Professor Potter here is Mr. Hunter. I haven't chosen a name yet, but I believe that we need someone from all four houses to be present, as well as one or two from staff… do you have any suggestions?"

"Well," Sarah said thoughtfully, "Nobody could outdo the original legendary Marauders, and the Weasley Twins most certainly gave the legends a run for their money. Aside from those two, nobody… except maybe… Luna Lovegood? She's supposed to be really lonely, and I'm not sure what to do next for Hufflepuff… a first year so that he or she can train our replacements?"

"No, I'll handle that," Severus replied. "I'll be here for a long time yet. The others will come and go, but Misters Hunter and…"

"Slick," Harry replied. "You can be Mister Slick. Or Epans. Your choice."

"Would that be a joke about my hair or animagus form, Potter?" Snape snapped, and Harry laughed.

"Both," he replied. "Now, I believe that this little one is a little off her rocker and a bit of an airhead sometimes. Perhaps… Miss Nut?"

"I was thinking Miss Tipsy," Severus said thoughtfully before Sarah squeaked out "I like Tipsy," without thinking. "Well, then Tipsy it is. Misters Hunter and Slick will remain here, and you will possibly remain as well, Miss Tipsy, if you are good enough to become the Muggle Defense Teacher."

"I'd really like to be teaching someone else about snakes and their habitats," she said without thinking. She clapped a hand over her mouth, blushing embarrassed, and Harry couldn't help but laugh at the kid's audacity. "Sorry…"

"No, but who is this someone else you're referring to?" Severus asked curiously, and her eyes filled with tears. "You don't have to answer right now, just before you graduate."

"Eye candy," Sarah said without thinking. "Volturi. Rock Candy. Toxicroak."

"Huh?" Harry said, the teenage girl's mind not making any sense to either of them. "Well, anyways, should we announce ourselves, or wait for a fourth or fifth member?"

"Wait," Severus replied. "I've got a mind of who I want next. Harry, pick a Hufflepuff. Miss Tipsy, if you've got an idea for a prank while in my class, come to me with a question about Potions ingredients and their reactions. Or a Defense one, and even – Merlin forbid you use this one except for an emergency – one about being a Slytherin or other whatnot."

"Can I ask about how the male body works?" Sarah asked without thinking, and the two men looked at each other.

"No," they replied in unison, both wishing she hadn't said that.

… (Later)…

"Sir, I was reading outside of class, and there was something I didn't quite understand about this potion," Sarah said in her Potions class. Severus looked at the book, which had a piece of parchment in it containing a plan for a major prank.

"Ah," Severus said eyeing the parchment. "That is a very tricky reaction. However, if you were to do this, a chaotic explosion of Fiendfyre would be the end result if you did it with that method. No, if you want to alter this potion, I would recommend using gillyweed."

"Gillyweed, sir? How would it react differently?" Sarah asked, curious about his plan.

"Because, instead of causing the explosion, it would merely cause the potion to simmer harmlessly," he replied, indicating with Legilimency that he was referring to a batch of fireworks. This one, however, would be the announcement that the Marauders had returned. It would show a stag, a serpent, a phoenix, a dragon, a dog, a bear, a lemur, a bat, and (for good measure), a badger, a raven, and a lion, all intermingling and interacting with each other and having fun.

"Oh! Okay," she smiled widely. "That makes so much more sense. Thank you, sir."

"Kudos," Snape said, startling the entire classroom. "Nobody has yet to read a potions book outside of class that wasn't assigned to them, let alone for fun. The last person that did that in my memories was myself. Now, I hear that you aren't in any house?"

"Yes, sir, that's correct," she replied dutifully. "I wish I were, though. Since I'm not, all four heads of houses are my head of house. It's odd."

"Well, then it's a good thing that I'm the head of Slytherin house again," Snape sneered, indicating with his eyes that he was talking about the Marauders Reformed. "Someone has to keep you little brats in line."

"Yes, sir!" she said saluting him. "I will do anything and everything you ask me to so long as it is within legal bounds!"

"Good. Now get back in your seat," he retorted with a smirk. He just knew this was going to be a good year.

"Sir? I was wondering if we could have a school-wide snowball fight," Sarah piped up, "do you think the headmistress would agree to it? it could fix inter-house relationships."

"Talk to her," Snape retorted, and talk to Minerva Sarah did.

Try as Sarah might, no luck came. The idea was shot down, and Sarah was crestfallen by the headmistress saying that she would have to get permission from each of the heads of houses for the students and houses to play. She'd looked at Snape and Harry the next lunch period, who both nodded an affirmation to her unspoken question. Snape had informed Harry of her idea, and when approached by Minerva, he explained that it was he who directed the wayward student to the older animagus. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were also permitted to play, with students needing consent from their parents or guardians. As a result, Sarah was soon found crying her eyes out in the Dungeons, with no head of house able to soothe her. Even the oncoming finals didn't help anything, even though the young girl aced them all with flying colors.

When the morning of the final exams dawned, her emotions had reached such unbearable heights that the school was buried in a foot and a half of snow, with more piling on quickly. The final exam was taken, and students rushed off towards home before the blizzard became unbearable. Even the school itself was shut down for fear. Severus was happily sipping a cup of cider in his private stores before he heard something that no ears should have heard.

What he heard was the most terrifying bloodcurdling scream that shook him to his magical core.

* * *

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist the boggart joke. I just had to do it! I've been trying to come up with a chapter to put that in for weeks now and I finally managed it! I admit, it aggravated me to have to write the first chapter before this one. Anyways, Snape is getting a little OOC since he's head of Slytherin house now and can freely do what he wants. So, now he looks to his snakes as though they were his kids, if he didn't already do that before.

Review? *looks at you with sad, begging eyes*


	3. Leave Out All the Rest

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

Oh, and I down own the song featured in this chapter. It's featured in bold and underlined.

* * *

"Sarah!" I heard Professor Snape call out, no doubt for my afternoon lesson. I could feel my adrenaline race more as the three other students raced from the room.

One minute I was lying in the dungeons, and the next I was racing outside of the castle trying to get away from Hogwarts like my life depended on it. The only problem was that I was out in the blizzard alone, and the snow was now up to my knees and getting higher and higher as I went. No doubt the worst blizzard on record for the entire country, and possibly the school as well while school was still somewhat in session. I wouldn't have even been out here if three of the Slytherin house members hadn't had the oh-so bright idea to rape me.

**I dreamed I was missing; you were so scared. **

**But no one would listen; cause no one else cared.**

**After my dreaming I woke with this fear:**

**What am I leaving when I'm done here?**

I collapsed into the snow, exhausted by my flight. After a while, I heard a few sets of shoeprints in the snow.

"So, what do we do with the little bitch?" one male asked.

"It's obvious she's the reason for the blizzard," another male said, "So I think we should take her home and rape her to death."

"No, make her give birth to a monster for each of us, _then _kill her with rape," a third male said.

"Not bad," the first one said. "Let's go, we don't want that traitor Snape finding out we took his precious protégé."

**So if you're asking me, I want you to know:**

**When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done!**

**Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed!**

**Don't resent me, and when you're feeling empty**

**Keep me in your memory!**

**Leave out all the rest!**

They apparated me away to a manor, and then immediately began demanding that I remove my pants. What part of the fact that I was just out in a blizzard did they not understand? I was trying to get over bloody hypothermia, damn it! I lay there, shivering, trying to get warm, when I heard one of them mutter something inaudible to the other two. I heard three wands getting flicked just before my body was racked with pain as though red-hot needles were getting shoved in every nerve ending.

I lay there, wanting to die. Everything hurt, as if they'd raped me, even though I knew they hadn't and had only used the Cruciatus curse who knew how many times. I wanted this to end, I wanted to go back to Hogwarts. I wanted someone – anyone – to rescue me and to worry about who I was and not for my stupid Potions abilities!

"No, please, I'll do anything! Just don't rape me!" I desperately. "Please!"

"That depends," the trio laughed. "What can you do for us that we can't?"

**Don't be afraid.**

**I've taken my beating.**

**I've shed but I'm me.**

**I'm strong on the surface – not all the way through.**

**I've never been perfect, but neither have you.**

There was silence on my end and the three wizards rammed me with the Cruciatus curse each. I was soon again in red-hot pain and wishing that I were, indeed, dead.

"No!" I screamed. "Please! I mean it! I'll do it to whoever you want, even if they're at Hogwarts! Please! Just stop this and don't rape me, please!"

"Cruccio!" they yelled out in unison, and I screamed my lungs out as her body was racked with more pain than I could bear.

"Stupid bitch!" the boys had yelled, yanking down their trousers. "You see these? You're going to house these and you're going to like it, damn freak!"

I wanted to beg and plead, but I couldn't. My body was failing, I couldn't move, it was as though I'd died. I panicked, unsure of what to do. I could feel my magic reach out in an attempt to defend me.

"Get her out of me!" the leader yelled, and the other two performed the Cruciatus curse again, both naked and highly aroused. The smell was atrocious, I wanted it to go away, to never come back into my life, and I'd even be willing to become a lesbian so long as these three left me alone for the rest of my days!

"Cruccio!" the three yelled in unison as all three bodies beginning to perform grotesque functions that I really would rather have not seen.

"Kill me!" I screamed at last, wanting the intense pain to end. "Shoot me with the killing curse! I'd rather give myself a heart attack before housing your freak male areas and produce your monstrosity demonic bastard spawn!"

"Well, boys," the leader gasped, zipping up his trousers. "Looks like we need to torture her a few more hours until she's as insane as the Longbottom duo, and then we can have all the fun we want. Don't worry boys, when we're through with her, she'll love us and want to give us all as many babies as her freak body can house until she pops."

"And we get to raise her spawn, and then kill them when they don't do our bidding," the other two growled happily.

'No!' I thought defiantly. 'There's no way in hell that any of my babies are going to you bastards, not in a million years! I'll kill you three in your sleep before I let my babies get controlled by you!'

**Forgetting all the hurt inside**

**You've learned to hide so well.**

**Pretending someone else can come**

**And save me from myself**

**I can't be who you are.**

"Aw, look, the little momma-to-be isn't happy with what we're saying," the second male crooned sickeningly. "Maybe we should put her under the Imperius curse."

"Nah," the third said, "Right now we need to zip up our trousers so that if someone walks in, we don't get caught in a rape attempt red-handed."

"Good idea," the other two said following in suit. As comforting as it was to not see the disgusting view, I could still see the bulges in their pants, and it was wrong, so wrong. I would never view a male the same way ever again. "Hey, let's shove the firewhiskey bottles up her vagina! Then she can't whine saying that we never gave her a warning about how wonderful we feel in her!"

"Hey, that's a grand idea," the leader grinned. "But there's just one little problem with your idea: if we do that, she won't be able to enjoy our parts as much as if we hadn't. Besides, we can keep going with the Cruciatus curse and nobody will be for the wiser!"

"Right," the two agreed nodding before all three wands were pointed at me again. "Cruccio!"

I knew they'd keep this up until I finally resented and let them, but I swore to myself that I would never relent. No matter how long they did this – and it felt like an eternity, mind you – I would never relent. The only thing that was running through my head was the lyrics to the chorus of a favorite song of mine that I wanted to be played at my funeral.

_**When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done!**_

_**Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed!**_

_**Don't resent me, and when you're feeling empty**_

_**Keep me in your memory!**_

_**Leave out all the rest!**_

_**Forgetting all the hurt inside**_

_**You've learned to hide so well.**_

_**Pretending someone else can come**_

_**And save me from myself**_

_**I can't be who you are.**_

"Drop the wand," I heard a male voice yell angrily as he burst open the manor doors. "Or wands."

_**I can't be who you are.**_

* * *

The song is _Leave Out All the Rest _off of _Twilight_. I'm not sure who does it, but I do know that I don't own it. Sadly, I can't and I'm just a poor college student trying to pass their time and satisfy their addiction of writing Fanfics.

I know this chapter was a little gory, but it was the only thing I could think of to traumatize her. I had to write it in order to put myself in her mindset and to ensure that I myself, as well as my readers, were able to fully understand her emotional turmoil that will come in the later chapters.

Like? Don't Like? I know it's a bit late to be saying this, but I humbly request a review or two from anyone, guest or not. I've got almost five stories up now, and none of them have been reviewed yet as of late…. I'll give you a box of virtual chocolate frogs or Berty Bott's Every Flavor Beans if you do review!


	4. Healing in His Wings

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"Professor Snape!" the trio rejoiced. "We were just about to torture this Muggle! Care to join us? We'll let you take her virginity if you want!"

"The only thing the three of you will be getting is justice," he snarled, using the knut in his pocket to communicate to a few aurors that he'd found the missing student. Colin Creevey, who had recently become an auror, raced in as fast as he could.

"What happened?" he gasped as he looked at Sarah. Severus' eyes turned to see the girl lying in a heap, her eyes wide and unmoving, her body twitching ever so slightly.

"The Cruciatus curse," Snape said sourly. "It tortures the nervous system with electrical signals, overloading it with white-hot unbearable pain. I've had it used on me many times in Death Eater meetings by the Dark Lord…"

"That curse looks strong," Colin murmured woefully as three more aurors burst in onto the scene.

"It took me years to build up a resistance enough to not yell in pain at the receiving end of it," Severus shuddered for emphasis, "And even more to be able to continue afterwards without having to rest for twenty or more hours."

"No…don't…please…" Sarah moaned quietly, and the four aurors looked at the immobile teen. "Please… don't rape… please… I'll do… anything else… please… don't…"

"You three are in _huge _shit," Severus snarled as he sauntered forwards.

"Professor, we should interrogate him first," Arnold, a Hufflepuff, said shaking his head. "We can't just assume things and punish him immediately."

"Very well," Snape snapped as five more aurors burst in on the scene, alongside two very familiar faces to Severus – Luna Lovegood and Harry had joined in the manhunt, and both were startled to find what had happened to the missing student. "Well, we now have an audience, so why not interrogate them with Veritaserum?"

"I've got it," Harry said stepping forward. "I took it from your private stores; I thought you'd need it if you called for us with a patronus in such a hurry. Do you want me to interrogate them?"

"No, allow me," Collin said harshly. "Answer me this: were you or were the three of you not planning to rape this witch? Did you or did you not know that she was unsorted by the hat as well?"

"Yes to both questions," the trio answered in unison, unable to tell a lie. The aurors' eyes widened at this knowledge, and Colin glared harshly at the trio as a shaky auror continued healing the injured witch. "We were planning to father a child each, and then raise them as our own after raping her to death. We knew she was strong, and that she held a special interest for the school since she's the first one in history to never have been sorted for this long, so we figured we'd get her children and then get the fame of having kids just like her."

"Did you or did you not torture this witch with the cruciatus curse?" Harry asked.

"Yes, we each cast it in unison numerous times in punishment for her not having sex with us and for disobeying our orders," they answered in unison. "We'd been planning this for months, and we didn't want anything to get in our way, especially bouts of accidental magic."

"This is disgusting," Colin said coldly. "Get them out of my sight! On second thought, Professor, what punishment do you think is the most fitting for them?"

"They sought to take away the one thing that was most precious to this girl," Severus began, "Her virginity. I feel that the only punishment worthy enough is to take away these wizards' magic, as it is what is most precious to them. They also proceeded to torture her with the Cruciatus curse."

"We'll take these three to the Ministry," Colin said curtly before using a portkey to travel with the three charges against it. Severus sighed and turned to face the injured teen that was staring into the distance, preparing his wand to spell an anti-Cruciatus potion into her stomach.

Severus stepped into the hospital wing a month later to retest the small witch's progress. Sarah, however, continued to have the blank stare. The lights were still on but nobody was home, and this hurt Severus deeply. She'd opened up for nobody, and he didn't want to break her trust as a Professor, as well as the only head of house that hadn't interrogated her yet.

"Hello," he said softly sitting next to her. '_This is so stupid! Of all the rotten luck, I'm the one stuck with the duties to babysit this one for the day! Thank heavens Colin took over potions for me today alongside Draco. This would have been disastrous!' _

'_Professor_,' she thought, and his eyes snapped to her as he used Legilimency. '_Professor Snape…_'

"Yes, I'm Professor Snape," Snape said, realizing that the longer he kept her talking or thinking, the more progress they'd make with her. "I need to know how you're feeling so I can get Colin here to help heal you. Are you still in pain?"

'Home,' she sobbed silently, her voice failing her even though her lips moved. 'I want my quarters! I want to go home!'

"Your parents – wait, your parents never signed the permission slip to go to Hogsmeade. They never signed anything, did they?" Severus asked, and she looked at him. "Sarah, I need to know what happened to you. Simple palm up for yes and palm down for no will do. Did they abandon you?"

'No, I ran away,' she thought quietly, putting her palm down. 'My mother was screaming at me, calling me a monster, saying that she may not have brought me into this world, but she'd be the one to take me out…'

"I'm afraid that is my fault," Severus sighed, revealing his technique for her answers. "I knew your biological mother. Your father was a Muggle that she raped on one of our Death Eater raids. I used the Imperius curse to spare your life, sensing that it was important for you to live, sensing by your father's brown hair and ocean blue eyes that you were a possible witch..."

'Why?' she whispered in her thoughts. 'Why am I the only monster?'

"No, you're not a monster," Snape snapped. "If you are, then I'm one worse than you are. I'll tell you what, for every ten questions of mine that you answer, I'll give you two or more homework passes for potions – no, for any subject you want. I'll even let you break a rule for every question you answer, depending on the rule."

'Fire away,' she muttered, again in her thoughts, and Snape realized that it wasn't because she was ignoring the other teachers – it was because the child had lost her voice entirely.

Snape continued interrogating the teenager with Legilimency and after two long hours, the doors opened to reveal Colin Creevey and Arnold MacMillan. The two looked at her, and Snape cast a silencing charm so that he could discuss the diagnosis with the two. Sarah's nervous system was fine, but her emotions weren't, and were just as bad as the blizzard that she'd fled into before getting kidnapped.

"So, do we erase her memories?" Colin asked. "And how do we get rid of this muteness?"

"We can't," Severus said calmly. "It's the result of trauma. We can only help her to get through this problem and wait for her to get her stress out so that she can talk again. I'll keep an eye on her, but she'll need a constant supply of ink and paper."

"Great," Arnold muttered. "Was this my doing on accident somehow?"

"No, this was after she got back and after the boys had admitted that they wanted to rape her to death," Snape replied calmly. "She's probably traumatized by what they said and is probably scared of others for fear that they'll sell her out to someone with similar ambitions."

"Go see if that's it," Colin urged, and the Potions Master rolled his eyes as he walked back to the young witch.

"Miss Denning, are you afraid of being betrayed?" he asked, and she put her palm up. "Are you afraid that the ones who betray you will sell you to someone like those three boys who kidnapped you?"

She closed her eyes, pointing at his wand with her palm-up hand, and he used Legilimency to watch.

Severus entered her memories, starting after the point where he'd interrogated them about their horrible desires to rape her.

.oO(Sarah PoV, while Snape's in her mind)Oo.

After a long time, and as I felt that I was truly and really about to die, I felt the presence of a kindred spirit nearby that was trying to get to me. The doors to the manor burst open, and Professor Snape was yelling at the two to drop their wands. But it was too late – I wanted to die, I'd seen too many horrible things and had gone through too much. Nothing he said or did would help me, not now that I was gone, broken, demolished goods. Nobody would want me now that these two had destroyed what alarming amount of innocence I'd retained throughout the years, and any childish spirit I had left.

Even as Arnold began healing my nervous system and Colin began looking me over, I felt that my world was coming to an end. I wanted it to, I still want it to. I was destroyed, a monster, a temptress for anyone and everyone. If not men who wanted to rape me, other magical beings who would sell me on the black market in Knockturn Alley to a slave owner to use me just as the trio of wizards had wanted to. There was nothing I could do now, I was a freak, and everything was wrong, all wrong. Even Professor Snape had failed me now, and now that this had happened, I wanted no part of anything in this world, especially magic. I just wanted to be a Muggle, to be normal, to not be used for who I was.

And until that happened, I had no voice in anything at all. Nobody had listened to a word I'd said that night. They didn't listen at all those past four years, and they never would hear my voice again. It hurt, my throat hurt, I knew what was happening – my voice had failed me for so long, and now my body was destroying the tender muscles of my vocal chords. My vocal chords and words had failed me, and now in my silence people would begin to realize that I was my own person, and if they didn't before my school career was over, I'd – no. Cross that bridge when we get there. But until that day comes, I will forever remain alone as a broken piece of furniture, a destroyed "object" of everyone's desire. I was the kindergarten toy that everyone loved playing with.

And now they had destroyed me over petty selfishness just like five-year-olds did.

* * *

I tried to get in the mindset for this chapter. I was feeling really depressed and broken by all my college stress when I wrote this one. I wrote this one before I wrote Chapter three, to be honest.

Review? Please?


	5. Tispy or Ice?

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"I know how you feel," Severus whispered to the traumatized teen. "I wasn't tortured like that with the Cruciatus curse and such foul language and … gestures… but I still know what you feel. My father kept trying to turn me into a tool and to turn me away from my wizardry inheritance, even as a small child. I was always picked on by the original Marauders, and I almost died in one of their so-called 'pranks'. The teachers never gave a damn about me. They all simply gave the marauders detentions and never docked points for the cruel sadistic actions that they bestowed upon me simply for living, but when I retaliated in self-defense, I received detentions and loss of house points.

"That was why I became Mr. Slick this time. To make sure that the pranks didn't get so far out of hand, and to ensure that nobody has to live in shame like I did. I was a spy in the war for both sides for the longest time, being subject to the Cruciatus curse for minor infringements to the Dark Lord, just as that trio did to you. Imagine that night, only for every Death Eater meeting for more than five years, and then another four after fifteen years of freedom from the pains, but to still have to uphold your image as a spy for the dark. The Dark Lord ordered me to rape Muggles by the dozen, but I fake nausea every time and began forcing myself to puke at the idea. He saw it as amusing and began torturing me for it, even though he said that this was something he was pleased with.

"After a long time, he ordered me to sleep with your mother, one of the minor Death Eaters. When I refused, I used the excuse that I was infertile, and that no matter what happened, I would never be of any use to him in that sense with another Death Eater. He was extremely furious, but turned the title of your step-father over to her husband. I would have done a happy dance once I got back to Hogwarts if I hadn't still been reeling from all those Cruciatus curses I'd taken, at least three from all five Death Eaters at the meeting, as well as another five from the Dark Lord himself. I still have nightmares about that night…

"But when the war was over at last, and when Nagini bit me, I realized I still had the anti-venom in my pocket just in case to use it. So, I did. Miraculously enough, and when I came to, I was in Grimmauld Place with nowhere else to go and with the Golden Trio healing me as best they could. That was when Potter had the idea of contacting Headmistress McGonagall and saving my posterior from Azkaban. As I went through my years of wallowing – was it eleven? – I realized that I wanted to be a free man, and that I wanted people to see me for who I was. Not as Severus Snape, spy for Dumbledore inside the Death Eater ranks. Not as Professor Snape, the greasy git of the dungeons that will also be known as the Dungeon bat – although I won't deny, I _do _love _that _title. No, I just want to be known for who I am as a person, not what I've accomplished in my years. Unbelievable, ranting to a teenage girl. Ah, who am I kidding, this _is _the reformed Marauders. Are you still in with us, Miss Tipsy?"

Sarah looked at him, pained. She clenched her fist, tears coming down her face.

"I see. You're still hurting. If you ever want to write something out, don't hesitate," Severus said pulling out a long piece of parchment. "I've enchanted this parchment to act as Tom Riddle's diary, only instead of the words drawing you in and draining your magic, it will be transferred over to my sibling parchment, which will act as a telephone of sorts for us. It will glow whenever you wish to talk to me, and I've cast water-repelling charms so that if you cry, it won't stain the parchment. You may also cast an extension charm if you want. Miss Denning, I want you to know that no matter what, I respect you for who you are and I tip my imaginary hat to you for being so brave to struggle through all the pains and issues you've had to endure in your life. Nobody as young as you should have to suffer so much in such a short time."

'Don't go,' she whispered in her thoughts as he turned to leave. 'I don't want to be alone. The dark – it scares me.'

"I don't blame you," Severus said gently, realizing that the torture had turned this fifteen year old girl into a five-year-old again. "I still get scared of the dark sometimes, did you know that? Yes, I know, even we Professors and greasy dungeon bats get scared. Don't worry – as long as you need a guardian, I'm here for you. In fact, I'll house you until you graduate, and even place wards on your bedroom so that nobody can come in or out without your explicit permission. Would you like that?"

'Yes, please,' she whispered in her mind. 'Thank you, Professor. S-sir?'

"Yes?" he asked, looking at her gently.

'Did – did anyone ever-ever want you for your body?'

"Like the trio did to you? No, I was hated in school, and the students hated me since I was the greasy git of the dungeons. However, that all changed after people learned of my role in the war. I was soon hailed as a hero, and women were almost lining up at my front door to ask or beg to let them carry my children. they would have, too, if I hadn't faked my death at the time. Now, ten years later, people are revolted once again at the thought of bearing my children since I'm not exactly a young man," Severus said at last.

'If it's alright with you, sir, I'd prefer that it was you I remained with over the summer. That way if any woman does find you suitable, they can be driven away at the presence of a student. Besides that, guys can stay away from me since you're a war hero and the Magical Professor. It's a win-win situation, sir, but... I don't blame you if you don't want to…'

"No, I'd like that," Severus said quickly. "You've got the right idea. It's very Slytherin of you… I think that the hat might finally be able to place you next year."

'I don't want to get sorted. None of the houses wanted me before I was kidnapped, and they most definitely _won't _want me in there now that the world knows what I am – we are.'

"True," Snape murmured, "We could always tell the hat that we prefer to remain unsorted for the rest of your days. Would you prefer that, even though it is a factor in what got you kidnapped?"

'I don't know what to do anymore. I feel so alone, like a used toy that everyone things is garbage now.'

"I don't think you're garbage," Snape said without thinking, and he immediately wanted to _Accio _the words back into his mouth.

'Then what am I to you?'

"A very capable young woman who just needs to get the respect that she has always deserved," Snape replied putting a hand on her head gently. "That's all you are. You may be a witch, but that doesn't mean that people should take advantage of you. Would you like to go back to your quarters?"

'I don't know anymore. I want to be alone, but at the same time I – I want to be held.'

"Would you like for me to hug you?" he whispered, and she opened up her palm for him. "Very well, I will pick you up and put you in my lap as I would a crying child."

'Thank you,' she sobbed in her mind before bursting out into sorrowful tears all over his black robes.

"Colin, Arnold, could the two of you please go back and monitor the Potions Classroom? I believe that I have everything that we need for her therapy," Severus said calmly to the two Aurors and they nodded before leaving the room. "Well now, Miss Tipsy, do you wish to change your name? Perhaps Miss… Ice?"

'No. Tipsy. Ice. I don't know. Tipsy seems more out of character for me, meaning they won't find me. Ice will reveal who I am.'

"True," he conceded. "I believe we should stick with Tipsy. Come, I'll take you to your quarters. Poppy! I'm taking Miss Denning out and to her quarters!"

"Not until she talks you're not!" the mediwitch objected harshly.

"She can't talk, she's tried it and failed," Severus said like it was blatantly obvious. "That's why nobody else got answers. They weren't using Legilimency."

ENENENENENENENENEN

"What?" Ron asked incredulously. "How dare they? Who do they think they are?"

"Dunno," Ginny shrugged, "But I _do _know that Professor Snape was angry enough to take away their magic for their crimes. Get this – the witch they were torturing was under the age limit for sex. So, technically, what they were doing, even if it was willing, would have been rape anyways. Although, I _am _glad that the girl got out without getting raped, but I don't blame her for becoming silent like that."

"Yikes," Arnold muttered as he went through the portal that led to the Ministry of Magic. "Never before have I seen Professor Snape that angry. He looked ready to kill if I hadn't intervened. That girl spells trouble, and not in a good way."

"So she's really unable to talk," Ginny marveled, "Man. That would suck."

"Imagine this, Ginny: your husband being a mute," Ron said, and she blanched. "Just saying."

"I'll tell him once he's done with the diagnosis. He's trying to get Miss Denning to talk, but it's not working – he's having to use mind reading, Legilimency I think he called it, to get the answers he needs from her," Arnold said.

"How can we help?" the two younger aurors asked.

"Not yet," Arnold said. "We need to wait some more to see if he can get her to open up."

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

"So, the girl's a mute," Harry said as he drank butterbeer in the staff room, an emergency meeting taking place. "That explains why nobody was able to get some answers from her until now."

"Her fears are well founded, though," Hermione brought up, "Especially since it happened twice in one day in two different locations. I think she should stay in Severus' private quarters, just to make sure that nothing goes wrong."

"I object, the girl's terrified of males, how do I know she won't kill me in my sleep on accident?" Snape objected, "Besides, I don't want any part of this crap about everyone hating her and I don't want people trying to break into my private quarters to kidnap a student and kill the greasy git of the dungeons while they're at it!"

"Yes, but you're the most capable person for the job," Hermione pointed out. "Besides, I'll stay in the same room as her to keep watch and make sure that nothing too serious will go wrong."

"Fine," Snape grumbled, "I'll hate every minute of it."

* * *

I know that Snape's getting really OOC. But I request that you please keep in mind, it's allowed since it's after the war now and he's trying to get by in life and to find a bit of a meaning for it. Besides that, he's probably lonely by now and just looking out for one of his little snakes. Well, in a way, she's a snake as well as the other three. Just a hint: he's her favorite head of house. I wanted him to do what he wanted his own teachers to have done when he was a student, so this is what I'm doing – turning him into a father-like figure for the snakes.

Virtual treat for anyone who reviews, even if it's just to tell me what your favorite wizard treat is!

Yes, I'm that desperate…


	6. Marauder Reunion

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

Severus opened his eyes to the Hospital Wing's familiar chambers. Wondering what on earth happened, and why on earth his fifty-one year old body felt like he was twenty-five again, he sat up. He looked around – nothing too terribly unfamiliar. He recalled a spell getting fired at him, but then nothingness and a horrible taste in his mouth that later made him feel like his insides were being submit to one of Voldemort's Cruciatus curses again.

"Poppy?" He called out, unsure of what was going on. he recalled everything, strangely, and he knew that he shouldn't look twenty when he was fifty-two.

"Good, you're awake," she said as she hurried over. "I was just about to go get Horace from the dungeons. He took over teaching Potions for you. You've been unconscious for a week now, and… well, see for yourself."

Severus looked at his reflection in the mirror she handed him. He gawked, feeling his face. He didn't just feel twenty-five – he _looked _twenty-five! He began running through all sorts of scenario's in his head, calculating the probability, and realizing what had happened while he had blacked out: a student had hit him with the Imperius curse and forced him to down a de-aging potion.

"What happened?" he asked, hoping she'd have the answer.

"We were lucky Professor Slughorn was there to stop the boy from doing anymore damage," she said shaking her head and removing the mirror. "One of the three students you apprehended over Christmas vacation shot the Imperius curse at you, forcing you to taste-test his de-aging potion. The boy sang like a bird after he threatened him with Veritaserum.

"He used the Imperius curse to force you to taste-test his de-aging potion, but it was so poorly made that it only reversed half of your age. According to Healer Adams – who used a complicated Legilimency to see into your memories and how much you retained – your memories are all intact. Auror Creevey sent the boy to the Wizengamot, where he was tried under Veritaserum and sent to Azkaban for the use of the Imperius Curse, attempted rape – Sarah, as you'll recall – attempt to kill his professor, as well as reckless endangerment of his fellow students."

"Windbag," he muttered. "Thank you. That is very helpful. How is Miss Denning doing?"

"Horrible. She's terrified of sleeping alone, but has been relocated into your private quarters with the password changed. The new password is … Snakebender," Poppy said shuddering. "She's terrifying, but only you can get through to her. Severus, I believe that we're supposed to de-age you a little further, but just enough so that you resemble her in age and prove to her that not all men are about power-hunger and sex."

"Where's the de-aging potion?" Severus smirked in reply, his eyes ablaze. This would get rid of two birds with one stone, metaphorically speaking. As long as the unsorted one was spoken for, nobody would _dare _touch her if she belonged to the dungeon bat. Would they?

HPHPHP(**Three Hours Later**)HPHPHPHP

"Snakebending," Severus said to the portrait of Salazar Slytherin, who swung open to allow entrance to the second and original occupant of the private quarters within. "Wow. Apparently I've got class in the future, this is nice. Very nice…but there's a second door… ah, yes, Poppy said someone was rooming with me for protection reasons."

"Who's there?" Sarah murmured, unsure of whether or not to come out.

A knock came at her door, and she covered herself in her blankets. A few minutes later, it came again, and she didn't respond. Finally, she heard someone stomp their foot outside.

"May I come in?" the voice finally asked, worried, "I was told you were going to share my private quarters. May I please meet you before we go to the Great Hall for dinner?"

'What on earth? This guy obviously doesn't know I'm a mute. I better write it out on the wall for him.'

Severus was appalled that someone was using their fingers to write on the wall.

'_My name's Sarah. I'm a mute. I was tortured with the Cruciatus curse by three boys over Christmas vacation. If you're a guy, I'm afraid I can't grant you permission unless you swear not to hurt me like they did by punishment of a month of detention with Filch if you do._'

"I promise," Snape said calmly, recalling who she was but not revealing that he knew. "I'm entering."

Severus walked in to find the room perfectly spotless, just as though she were never there. She was sitting on the bed, facing the wall, her fingertip to it in preparation to write another message. She looked at him, grabbing a notebook and a pen, worrying over his gender and panicking. He looked around, his hands in his pockets to signify that he wouldn't harm her, with his wand in his back one, and looked around. The colors were representative of all houses, signifying that she had not yet been sorted into any house. There was a bowl of water on the nightstand, but nothing else nearby. Her robes and school things were organized neatly in a wardrobe. Her shoes were also lined up on the bottom row of shelves, and he noted that she was apparently a neat freak. She held the notebook out to him.

'_I'm not really ready to talk about it yet, but there were these three guys who kidnapped me and tortured me with the Cruciatus curse. They did it because I wouldn't have sex with them.'_

"I won't ever hurt you like that," Severus said shaking his head. "Not after what the Marauders did to me. Those three will go to Azkaban, I promise."

'_no,'_ Sarah wrote quickly with her wand, _'their magic was taken away by our Potions Master. He was so angry with them, but I only vaguely remember him arriving and holding a trial – I think he used Veritaserum immediately to speed things up and to get their reasons and confessions._'

"I'm glad he was able to intervene. May I meet him sometime? Maybe he can get the Marauders off my back," Severus said hopefully, but Sarah shook her head. "Why not?"

'_because he's busy. He vanished a month later, I think another student put him under the Imperius curse and made him drink a de-aging Potion. I haven't seen him since my previous session with him to help me write out my problems. It's what he told me to use as therapy since I'm a mute and it was the trauma that caused it.'_

"Oh. Well, maybe not then. I'm Severus. Severus Snape, Slytherin house," he said holding out his hand gently to shake.

'Sarah. Sarah Denning. Currently unsorted fifth year,' she replied with her wand before taking his hand and shaking it gently. 'Dinner?'

"Yes, that would be lovely," Severus admitted as his stomach growled loudly. He grinned sheepishly, not sure of how to continue. "You look really good for someone who just went through the Cruciatus curse. I read a story in the library a couple hours ago about a couple who had been tortured for so long by it, that they went insane and their son was raised by his grandmother while they had to spend the rest of their lives in St. Mungo's."

"Yeah, Neville Longbottom," Harry said as they exited the private quarters. "Hi, I'm Harry Potter. I teach Defense, Mr. Snape. The son in the story was a good friend of mine. Voldemort killed my parents the same night that Bellatrix Lestrange tortured Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom. Anyhow, can we go inside the office? There's something I want to talk to you two about…"

"Sure, I'm sure Professor Slughorn won't mind since I'm his favorite," Severus shrugged, leading the way to his own office. He stopped short when he saw it, pretending to be shocked. "This is _not _Professor Slughorn's work…"

"No," Harry said, "It's yours. You're the Potions Master, that's why you were force-fed a de-aging potion by a student using the Imperius curse. Now, you probably won't hold any of your memories from your time, but I _do _know however, that anything that affects you now will affect you when you return to your normal age and time."

The door slammed shut, and Harry cast a number of silencing and warding charms on it before turning around to face the two startled teens.

"Now, before you two say anything, how much do you know of the Marauders?" Harry asked, and Severus' face went red. "Now, Mr. Snape, I'm talking about the _reformed _Marauders, not the ones you know from school. Those four are all dead, and you have before you the co-head of the reformed Marauders. I am Mr. Hunter, and Miss Denning here is Miss Tipsy. You are Mister Slick. We have a number of students that show potential, but I was thinking of announcing our presence tonight to the school since it _is _a mandatory meeting for the entire school now that you've been de-aged."

"I don't know," Severus said hesitantly. "What does this entail?"

"The same things it did last time. fanfare, the startling announcement in the ceiling – not with our voices or remotely our handwriting of course – and the announcement of our accepting one newcomer from each house into our ranks if they can become worthy of the Marauder title," Harry said, "And just to keep suspicions off of you, we'll need the fanfare to welcome you as the king of Potions and fellow teenagers since you're on staff. I'll be doing that one to keep the suspicion off of you. We'll also welcome Sarah as the first student in Hogwarts History to never have been sorted and never to be sorted. Do you two like it?"

Severus and Sarah nodded quickly, grinning like the Cheshire cat. Sarah was quick to write out a reply to them: _' I like the idea, but we need a fourth member. The Marauders always had four, we are only three. What do we do? Who do we pick?_'

"Never worry, I've got just the man in mind," Harry said wisely, "Or rather, woman. Her name is Luna Lovegood, and she teaches Divination. She can be a bit off-key sometimes, but don't worry, nobody will suspect her. They'll expect someone a little off their rocket in the hyperactivity scale for Tipsy, so you'll be safe, Miss Denning. Mr. Snape, you're Mister Slick because-!"

"Of my greasy oily hair that everyone sees fit to make fun of," he said quietly. "I know."

"Actually, it's because your Animagus form is a black cobra," Harry corrected, only revealing half of the reason since this new Snape couldn't handle any teasing of any kind. "We'll have to prank all houses evenly, although since none of us are in Hufflepuff, we'll need to recruit a Hufflepuff member. Any objections?"

"Nope, I'm good," Severus said while Sarah shook her head. "Just tell us what to do."

"Alright, here's what we're going to do tonight, and don't worry, Luna already knows about it…" Harry said grinning slyly. "Here's what I need you to do…"

* * *

De-aged Snape! It's a wonderful thing, you can't deny. It gives him the second chance at life he deserves after spending his first as a slave/spy in the wars.

Virtual candy for the reviewers.


	7. Prank War

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

For future reference, _this_means that the Marauders are putting writing on the ceiling of the Great Hall. Enjoy.

* * *

The three Marauders walked calmly across the Great Hall, only to pretend to jump at the loud fanfare that had begun playing. Severus noted that it was the Star Wars theme from the beginning credits, and rose an eyebrow at what was going on. Words began writing themselves across the sky.

_For all of you who thought that we were dead, fear not! Messieurs Hunter and Slick, as well as Mademoiselles Tipsy and the currently anonymous, are proud to present the legendary history-makers of the school!_

_Yes, that's right, Mr. Hunter! We are proud to present Miss Denning, the only person to have ever gone without being sorted, and are pleased to announce that we have pressured her into never donning the dreaded Thinking Cap again!_

_Yes, Mademoiselle, we have returned, and we also wish to hail the first ever de-aged Potions Master at Hogwarts, who is already esteemed as the youngest Potions Master in Britain! However, he is now a teenager, and Professor Snape has broken his own record!_

_Yes, that's right Miss Tipsy! We also welcome the Queen of Tabbies and all things Feline, as well as the legendary Mr. Potter, the boy-who-lived and eventually defeated he-who-must-not-be-named!_

_Thank you for that, Mr. Slick, but what of the Weasley twins? Nay, my good friends, we are happy to announce that we have decided to bring back a time honored tradition that has long since thought been dead! Miss Tipsy-_

_Mr. Hunter!_

_Mister Slick_

_And Miss Anonymous would like to make an announcement to honor the Marauders of old._

_WE'RE BAAAACK! And we've created the new – and Reformed – Marauders! Yes, we, the Reformed Marauders, are returning to honor our lovely memories of our precious time honored prankster heroes of old!_

_And we're out for revenge, too!_

_Well, metaphorically speaking. We've decided that it would be beneficial…_

_To have a prank war! No holds barred! Teachers and staff are free game, but there _are _of course, limitations._

_Yes, thank you Misses Anon and Tipsy and Mr. Slick – in that order – for that. Quidditch players are _not _to be the butt of a prank when a Quidditch match is within twenty-four hours. The Hospital Wing, of course, is also off limits, and we say this rule for everyone's benefit, as I'm sure nobody wants to get killed by the wicked witch of the medics._

_Nice one, Mr. Hunter! Yes, and there's a reward, too! The best prankster will receive a reward depending on what house they're from. And what the prank was._

_Do shut your mouth, Miss Anon._

_Yes, do shut up, the lot of you so I can talk._

_Touché, Mister Slick, Mr. Hunter and Miss Anon._

_You three argue like a married couple all you want. The reward – contrary to Miss Anon's belief – will _not _be affected by house, and it will be a one hundred galleon reward to the winner! But, keep in mind, no matter how many average pranks one house or person plays, one extremely good one will outdo them all. We ask that you not play any pranks that would kill each other, as we do not want to go to Azkaban._

_And we most definitely want to get a good laugh and it wouldn't be funny if someone died. No, it would be a very sad day indeed, and I for one would possibly cry my little eyes out in guilt, horror and shame._

_Yes, I second Mr. Slick's words of wisdom._

_Thank you, Miss Tipsy. Your words comfort me._

_Back away from the Married Couple…_

_HEY! WE OBJECT TO THAT STATEMENT!_

_You act like one. Anyways, you have until… oh, say… the end of May? _

_Yes, yes, and the winner has to fight Michael Jackson!_

_Miss Tipsy, you scare me._

_Why thank you, Miss Anon._

_I want to see that fight, actually._

_I'll let you wager on that on your own time later, Mr. Slick. For now, however, let the Prank War…_

(All, in unison) _BEGIN!_

The effect on the Great Hall was immediate, and the students began looking around and starting teams, the teachers were exchanging worried glances. The Prank War went for about a week, and it was Valentine's Day before anyone saw fruition of the Reformed Marauder's efforts.

It started with the Slytherin house, and all students were immediately turned into little miniatures of their Potions Master. Then, at the same time, the Gryffindor males into Harry, while the females were turned into Hermione. The Hufflepuff house was turned into Professor Bones, who taught Muggle Studies, and the Ravenclaw's into Luna and Xenophillius Lovegood. The Professors and Sarah, however, were all turned into someone they didn't expect: Dumbledore. Shouts of alarm were soon throughout the Great Hall, and most students were running away from the mini-Snape house, not that he needed confirmation that he was hated throughout the school still.

Most other students and teachers, however, that weren't fleeing from the Slytherins, were laughing hysterically, Severus and Sarah included. That wasn't the last of the pranks, it was only the beginning, and Severus was enjoying himself. One person even spiked all the morning juices of all the teachers for two days, causing them to sing the hero's song from a random Disney movie that best suit their personality. Severus was ashamed to hear 'I won't say I'm in Love' going throughout his classroom the entire day, something the students were quick to pick up on, and then to start gossiping about the unknown identity of whom the "unlucky" lady was. Severus noted that the five muses in the background were the voices that he knew very well from his past – the Lily and James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and – most shocking – his own mother. The students also kept asking him if he knew who the five people were, and Snape almost blew a gasket when Harry walked in and asked why his parents, Sirius, and Remus were all singing. The two songs were clashing at the same time, and the Gryffindor voices could be heard to almost be snickering.

The crazy thing about that prank was that it wasn't even gender specific, since that song was done by a girl. McGonagall had the Aristocats going in her classroom over the next two days, with Harry listening to 'Be A Man', Hermione to 'I Wanna Know', Ron to 'Son of Man', Luna to 'Sally's Song', and – to the students' delight –Sarah was blushing furiously at 'Part of Your World'.

Three days later, the song "Following the Leader" could be heard, with all the teachers standing up and following headmistress McGonagall out the front doors of the school and walking across the grounds. All students were laughing at that one for days, and Sarah seemed to come out of her shell enough to play a prank of her own.

The Gryffindors were bombarded with pranks from the Slytherin house as their rooms were filled with empty snake skins, while the Gryffindors put lion skins up in the Snake dormitories that very same day with a little help from their respective professors, who'd exchanged the goods. Sarah, however, was the one who came up with the very first one that took place in a classroom. It was an exploding potion that showed everyone's auras and Snape's turned out a non-startling black.

The closer it got to the deadline, the more desperate the students got. One student had spiked every glass of drink in the entire school, and had started everyone in singing "Cum-baya." Severus had scowled at that, retaliating with his own love potion, causing the student to fall in love with Mr. Filch for a day, much to everyone's amusement. One student had taken an idea from Kingdom Hearts, and had had Severus, Harry, and Sarah singing the Kingdom Hearts version of 'Under the Sea', with Harry playing Sebastian, Sarah as Ariel, and Snape as Sora. The more funny part was that the trio was dressed in perfect costume – Sarah and her Potions master even as mermaids.

Their prank, however, was immediately outdone by someone else's as headmistress McGonagall sat down on a whoopee cushion. Unfortunately for her, a sticking charm was cast on it so that it would only go away when she was getting ready for bed. That day at lunch, everyone walked in and a potion in the food causes it to explode in everyone's faces.

Sarah had a good laugh as one of the Hufflepuff second years drank the Polyjuice potion to look like headmistress McGonagall and makes a fool of her in the great hall, with the help of a certain Potions Master of course. He was soon break-dancing, and the entire student body laughed, with Harry rushing the child through the door to the staff room as the headmistress herself walked in. the Great Hall burst into applause, with the poor old animagus not having a clue as to what they were applauding her about. The Reformed Marauders had the hardest time judging, as there were so many good choices to be laughed at, and there was one joke that was even taking things too far, in Severus' opinion.

They'd found a little bottle of butterbeer that had a label that said 'Drink Me' on the bottle in handwriting that wasn't anyone's. They drank it in unison, and within moments they were on their way to Sarah's bedroom to snog, and the rest of the week went by awkwardly. They had no recollection of either event even though they were quickly able to put two and two together the next morning. _That _potion had been Ron's idea, and Harry was more than willing to help Slick and Tipsy get their revenge on the redhead. Two days after the first _Alice in Wonderland _food appeared in Snape's private dorms, Ron found a little piece of cake that had extra frosting that read 'Eat Me', which, of course, he did.

To his astonishment, the next few days were filled with all of his students going to the Hospital Wing from a lack of oxygen since what words he thought was normal were actually mooing while he looked, to everyone else, like a weasel.

Severus and Ron then began an all-out prank war, eventually ending with Ron in a Tutu for a week and a half, and Severus wearing white with blue frilly lace. Not that he minded anymore, even though he wanted his usual black, but Sarah had laughed at it and had managed to croak out a barely audible "I like it" to him, so he kept it on for her sake. Harry, however, was also the butt of many pranks, and Draco Malfoy even paid a surprise visit on the day before the giant Prank was supposed to end.

To his astonishment, he started strutting and crowing like a rooster after Severus handed over his cup to the blonde. The entire Great Hall started laughing, and even Severus and Sarah were falling over to roll on the floor with laughter, eventually needing help to get to the hospital wing from another bout of lack of oxygen.

Draco wasn't impressed until Harry pulled him aside and explained about the prank war that the legendary "Reformed Marauders" had come up with, which would end the next day. That night at dinner, one Marauder's last-ditch attempt at winning the gold was made known as pies appeared in front of everyone, ramming them in the faces, and then starting an all-out pie throwing contest. Sarah, who had started it, picked up three pies with a levitation spell. She then walked right over to Draco, Severus, and the headmistress, who were sitting like three little ducks in a row.

With an almighty rush of magic, the trio was both covered in pie innards as well as pumpkin juice. Severus then launched a pie right towards her face, which she ducked, and it hit Neville in the face. Finally, the headmistress stood up.

"I have not had that much fun in a very long time," she addressed, the Great Hall now a mess. Just as Filch walked in to join them for dinner, he shrieked loudly like a girl and fainted. "And I won't deny: that was very much enjoyable. I give my Kudos to whoever came up with that prank, and a heartfelt thank you to the Reformed Marauders for once again igniting the child in all of us – although I daresay that we shouldn't have too many of these a year, as things could get _very _chaotic! We look forward to the wonderful announcement of who will be the winner, and with that, we are now to clean up, tuck in, and wait for the decision of the Marauders that will arrive in the morning."

* * *

Who do you think will win? Review if you want to let me know. Or you can just hit the little next button. My feelings won't get hurt… too badly…

Okay, I give! Please review!


	8. The Results

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

again, _this_is the Marauders making an announcement, and _ this _is regular thoughts.

* * *

"I've got my vote on that pie war," Harry said as the four Reformed Marauders met in Snape's private quarters, with Harry and Luna using the Floo to get there without getting caught.

"I agree, that was fun," Luna agreed, looking at Sarah, who nodded, and croaked out "Pie war."

"You got your voice back!" Harry cried out joyfully. "How'd you do it?"

"The white on me," Snape blushed slightly. "The first words out of her mouth were 'I like it' when she was done laughing at it. We'll have to give a public thanks for that prank."

"It looked good on you," Sarah croaked out, "I have to be happy, though, and comfortable with who I'm around."

"In other words, teachers," Harry summed up, "Understandable. It's nice to hear you talking again."

"Thanks," she croaked. "You have pie on your face, Professor."

"Where?" Snape asked, starting to wipe his face.

"There," Sarah muttered before kissing him on the tip of his nose. They both blushed crimson before she lost her knees and he caught them and they toppled backwards together, grinning like idiots.

"Well, we await the announcement, Severus," Luna smiled.

"Mr. Slick and Miss Tipsy should get married. Then she can change her name to Mrs. Ice, or Mrs. Blueberry, or Rasberry, or even Peach. Then she can return a few years later once all the firsties have gone away," Harry concocted.

"Mr. Slick likes that idea, Mr. Hunter, but he'll save it for when his spouse joins in," Severus grinned widely, "If she's not already in yet."

"Mr. Slick is married?" Luna asked, and Snape shook his head. "Oh, right. Sorry. Well, I have to go. The Nargles are getting rather busy in here…"

"Mr. Hunter thinks Mr. Slick and Miss Tipsy need to get a room and shag already," Harry added before going into the fire to go to his quarters.

"That won't do, Mister Hunter," Snape sneered, "Mister Slick will get his revenge. But first, Miss Tipsy must go to bed so Mister Slick may go to Madame Pomfrey to try to get re-aged. Oyasumi, Miss Tipsy."

"Good night, Mister Slick," she said softly, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, I daresay you will," he grinned evilly before racing up to the hospital wing. "Poppy! Do you have it? Do you have the re-aging potions?"

"Try it, Severus," she said, and he drank the antidote to his own de-aging potion. Sure enough, he looked in the mirror to find that he was twenty-five again. "As dashing as you were when you were twenty-five again."

"Yes, and I remember everything that's been going on as well as what's happened up until I was fifty-two in appearance," he added, "Thank you, Poppy. I quite enjoy this newfound youth. I believe I'll keep it."

"You're Mr. Slick, aren't you?" she teased, and he froze. "Oh ho! You are! And Miss Tipsy is Miss Denning, then? Miss Anon… is Miss Lovegood, isn't she? And Hunter… Potter!"

"Damn it, woman, not a word," Snape sneered, "Not a word, or I'll Obliviate that from your mind! Not a word about the Reformed Marauders!"

"Who are the Reformed Marauders? Severus, you know?" she asked, and he sneered as he walked out of the hospital wing, scaring a first year who'd gotten the receiving end of a delayed prank.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

The familiar Star Wars fanfare began playing the next morning at Breakfast, and all students and teachers' eyes turned to the ceiling.

_We are very pleased with what we have all seen with everyone's pranks!_

_Yes, Mr. Hunter, we very much are. In fact, I wanted to give everyone some money, but – Alas! – there can only be ONE winner…_

_We do, however, appreciate your enthusiasm, Mr. Slick. Yes, we have drawn to a close the first ever prank war inside these Hallowed, Hallowed wonderful halls. Let us take a moment of silence – or laughter, if you must – to ponder these fond memories._

_… Thank you, everyone, and especially you, Mister Malfoy, for the moment of silence. We express our apologies for not warning Mr. Malfoy before he came, but it was a surprise visit. However, we have made our retribution to him. We, as the Marauders, would like to thank everyone for helping our friend, Miss Denning, slowly get over her leave of silence that has plagued her because of traumatic situations that even we are not privy to._

_Yes, Mr. Slick was even honored enough to hear her complimenting Professor Snape on his new white wardrobe once she was done with her laughter at it. It was music to the ears of the Marauders, ladies and gentlemen, even if it was a tiny amount of noise, the five of us had spent the entire next day celebrating in various parts of the castle._

_And the Shrieking Shack._

_We did not go into the Shrieking Shack, Miss Even, - formerly known as Miss Anon for Anonymous – I believe you are gravely mistaken. However, we have decided that the winner of the prank was the one who was able to spread the most joy last night with the pie war._

_Who started that, anyways?_

_Beats me, Miss Even. Does Misters Hunter and Slick know?_

_No, but Mr. Hunter could almost hear Mister Slick and Miss Tipsy-_

_DON'T EVEN FINISH THAT, HUNTER!_

_*Tipsy faints from embarrassment*_

_I will get you for that, Mr. Hunter. NOBODY embarrasses Miss Tipsy but ME. So says Mr. Slick, he will get his revenge on Mr. Hunter for making her faint. You know how easy it is to make her faint!_

_Suit yourself, Mr. Slick, and I apologize to Miss Tipsy – well, when she wakes up anyways. No, it appears that Miss Denning was the one who started that pie war. Congratulations, Miss Denning, for winning the first ever ultimate prank war in Hogwarts' Halls! We commend you on your bravery and cunning for throwing the pies at the headmistress, the fe-blonde, and the bat of the dungeons. We award you with the promised hundred galleons, and we wish to welcome you into our ranks. Meet us when you can, we will be sending an owl your way very soon. And now, without further ado, the Marauder Motto!_

_Merry Pranking to all, and to all a good laugh!_

"Wow, those Marauders really know how to put up a show," Malfoy laughed, with the Great Hall soon ablaze with excitement at who won and the fact that it had been Sarah who had organized the pie war.

Sure enough, at the morning post, two large school owls appeared carrying the hundred galleons to Sarah, who accepted it bashfully. Severus and Harry were laughing their heads off, both arguing about whether or not the festivities were cut short. Severus was also arguing his point about Harry's need to get his crude teasing under control in front of students.

It was with heavy hearts that the finals commenced, and Sarah was at her wit's end trying to get the exams correct. Over the next few days, Sarah's voice again began failing her, and the staff was all astonished at the sudden relapse. Severus, however, had an inclination that it was something more than that, something that she didn't want to be told. His eyes widened in recollection of what she'd thought to him in the hospital wing mere months ago…

'_No, I ran away,' she thought quietly, putting her palm down. 'My mother was screaming at me, calling me a monster, saying that she may not have brought me into this world, but she'd be the one to take me out…'_

"My god," Snape murmured.

"Something wrong, Severus?" Minerva asked, and Severus nodded.

"I worry for her sanity, headmistress. After all, she's been under a lot of stress, which causes the traumatic effects upon her vocal chords to return. I fear that by going home, the effects may just become permanent," Severus addressed. "After all, we have no idea what her house life is like, only that she comes back to school like it's a haven and a place that saves her life. Much like Mr. Potter did when he was a student, if I recall…"

"We'll deal with that, Professor Snape," Colin said, "I need to address her parents about what happened. Just to make sure that if she wanted to get away from her home for any reason to continue practicing spells she may come to our house."

HPHPHPHP(**Two Weeks Later**)HPHPHPHP

Sarah slept most of the way back to King's Cross. She was alone in this compartment, and for good reason. Once all the other students heard of how she was a mute again and had held her own against Professor Potter in a duel, they figured she wasn't a force to be reckoned with. So, they left her alone more now than ever before. It hurt her, and she wanted a fellow Marauder that would talk to her on the train ride home more than anything else.

"Um…May I come in here?" a young Hufflepuff first year asked, "All the others are full, and… I'm a Muggle born."

Sarah nodded, motioning for him to take a seat. He smiled widely, closing the compartment after him, and she locked it with a flick of her wand. She smiled, pulling out her notepad and pen to prepare to write out replies.

"So, you're a mute again? I'm sorry to hear that. It must be hard," he said softly, "I'm sorry. My name's Rocky. My parents were crazy and had just gotten home from the Grand Canyon in America when they had me, and the pebble on my mom's nightstand that she'd picked up from there was moving and shivering when I was shaking my fists."

'How old are you? Mine's Sarah, but you probably already knew that by me not getting sorted for five years in a row. You still live with your parents, right?'

"I'm twelve," he said happily, "thanks. But, what are you talking about? Of course I live with my parents! Why wouldn't I?"

'Mine kicked me out when they figured out I was a waterbender. This summer, I'm on my own with nowhere to go. That's why I had an extension charm on my trunk to make sure everything fit in there this year from my old bedroom. I'm going to go to Diagon Alley and see if I can get a better one with the one hundred Galleons I won.'

"Nice. So, what are your plans for the summer, aside from looking for a new place to crash?" he asked, honestly curious. "And that pie war was ingenius, by the way, I loved it! Especially when you threw that pie at Professor Snape – he deserved it so bad!"

'Thanks. Yeah, I guess that's what I'll do. I've managed my parents making life a living hell for me, and I don't see how much worse this could get. I owe the pie war to the Reformed Marauders, though – I'd have never had the guts to do it if they hadn't ignited the war and offered the money for the reward. I _could _rent a room in the Leaky Cauldron for a few days until I find a job and get back on my feet.'

"I could let you stay in my place even though my parents are Muggles," Rocky offered, "My mom won't mind, I don't think. I wish I could join the Reformed Marauders – I have _so _many good ideas that would be amazing to put into play! I just wish I knew how to contact them…"

'I can do that for you. They gave me a list of four addresses that they alternate between every week during the summer. Would you like that?'

"Would I ever! Oh, I hope they don't view me as too much of a burden…" Rocky stammered, just as the train pulled to a stop. "Surely we're not there _yet_. It's not even snacktime!"

'Don't get up. Something's wrong, I can feel it in the air.'

"Come out come out wherever you are, ungrateful bitch," a familiar haunting voice called down the halls of the train. Sarah paled before passing out cold.

* * *

Yes, Sarah gets terrified. She may be brave and nearly-fearless, but there are in fact things that will scare her. Snape gets a peek inside her mind, as you can see, and gets to see why she acts the way she does all the time.


	9. Female Houdini

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"Leave us alone," Rocky said bravely as a curly haired brunette broke open the glass on the sliding door to their compartment. "Leave us alone! Can't you see she's hurt?"

"Which is why we're taking her home with us, boy," she glared, pointing a gun at him. "We have our ways of entry. Now give us our daughter and we'll be on our way."

"No! She told me all about what you did to her!" he yelled in defiance, terrified, but knowing that if there was a metalbender in their area, he or she would surely come to his aid. "I'm not letting her go back to that hellhole!"

"Die, brat," she spat before shooting him. The air around the bullet swirled before it dropped onto the floor. "Impossible."

"Leave us alone!" Rocky yelled in defiance, channeling his chi away from him and forcing the older woman away from him. "Help! Help, I'm being attacked! Help!"

"She's a minor, she belongs to me," Sarah's mother spat angrily as Harry approached her, her rage building at these unknown people.

"She's a free woman," Harry shot back."Rocky,I want you two separate from Miss Denning before the train gets to King's Cross. Her parents will be there, and it will be our duty to keep an eye on their interactions."

"You haven't heard the last of me, freak," Sarah's mother spat, "The name's Jennifer. Remember it well since you'll die by my hands."

"Right," Harry scoffed, "I was told that I would die of old age, and that's how I intend to go, Trigger."

"Yes, sir," the student said crestfallen before he left the carriage. Jennifer was thrown out the window harshly by Harry as Rocky wrote a quick note to Sarah explaining his absence from the carriage for when she awoke. He tucked it away inside her carry-on satchel, and raced out after Harry.

HPHPHPHP(**Later, At King's Cross**)HPHPHPHP

"Who the hell are they? Whose kid belongs to that batch of lunatics? I pity him or her."

"My, my, the students are extremely excited," Arthur Weasley mused with a smirk, "And the parents."

"Oh, wait, I think I see her," Charlie said standing up straight, then slouching. "False alarm."

"No, but here's a hint, Charlie: look for someone who's trying not to cry and wields a notebook," Percy encouraged harshly and coldly. "I'm sure that you'll see more than I will, at least."

"That's true, I suppose," Charlie said shrugging.

Sarah stepped off the train, unsure of where to go from where she was. She'd gotten Rocky's letter to her, and had known for a while that she should have known that it was too good to be true. Everyone else was too busy celebrating to care much, and to her astonishment, Ron's owl flew over to her.

'Oh, hey pig,' she thought dejectedly. 'I wish you could find Professor Snape and get him to kill me or to take away my magic. I'm tired of being a nobody. I only won that prank war because of my pie incident, and that was because I wanted everyone to feel like the fools that they thought I was.'

"Sarah Naomi Denning!" a cold voice sounded, and Sarah turned slightly and smiled.

"Miss Denning," Fred and George said approaching her, with Molly bringing up the rear. "We're going to need for you to step with us for a while."

"I'm afraid that as her mother, I don't give you permission to do so," Jennifer said coldly before dragging Sarah outside of the train station.

HPHPHPHP(**Two Weeks Later**)HPHPHPHP

Sarah smirked evilly as her inner Slytherin/Ravenclaw/Gryffindor combination came out. She was loyal to Hogwarts and Hogwarts alone. She'd begged the nurses over the course of the past few days to leave a quart of water in her bedroom since she was prone to waking up with cottonmouth and would probably down it within the first night. Unbeknownst to them, she'd been using wandless levitating charms with it gradually over time into the electrical outlets and into the alarm system surrounding her room through the walls.

She'd been doing it the entire two weeks that she'd been in this insane asylum, and was forced to put up with a particularly nasty female nurse who thought the same as her mother – that she didn't deserve to live. Sarah had had more than enough of it, and had plotted her revenge for the entire two weeks. She'd even plotted an escape route and a way to ensure that nobody followed her: A suicide note and a fake body. Her teachers would be devastated if they listened to the Muggle news, but none of them really did, and surely not so soon into the summer.

She smiled evilly as she opened her window without the alarm going off. She channeled more water into the outlets and into the alarm system all around her room. She was wary, however, since she also knew that this could spark a fire if done in excess. She reclosed the window, waiting for her nurse to do her nightly rounds and refill the water bottle.

"Had enough, bitch? Drinking more water, I see. At least you're doing something right for once in your bloody life," the nurse sneered. "You still believe magic is real?"

'I'll break out to prove it to you, too,' Sarah beamed evilly as she wrote everything down on the notepad that Severus had supplied to her. 'Not that you'll be able to see me do it anyways. I was planning on two nights from now, but I can hear a voice calling out 'Remember who you are. If you lose yourself, your courage soon will follow. So, be strong tonight. Remember what you are.' Not that you'd get what I'm saying anyways.'

"No, I think you're crazy," the nurse sneered. "Good luck with that, bitch. Have fun."

Sarah smirked as she quickly scrawled out a note to the authorities, making it look like suicide, but a fellow Marauder would know that it was code for "I'm busting out of here, bastards, and there's nothing you can do about it, so suck it up!" before tearing it out of her notebook and placing it under the now-empty water bottle and a paperweight that the asylum supplied. She knew by now who it was that she was loyal to most, and opened the window into the frigid night air. She had broken the camera that overlooked her room as well over the week, and now silently repaired it before heading out into the darkness of the night.

She raced away, her mind racing. She'd had dozens of escape routes planned, none of them pleasant in the least, but was now able to find a drunken woman who was dying in a darkened alley. Finding this as good a time as ever to practice, she dragged the woman into the sewers, promising that it would help her keep cool. She immediately drowned the woman, made the woman's dental work match her own identically by more wandless magic. Nobody except a staff member at Hogwarts would know it was a fake. She was home free.

Severus, Ron, and Harry gaped in horror the next morning as the massive amount of Muggle police enforcement surrounded the mental hospital that Sarah had been staying at for the summer. Minerva had sent her, worrying over Sarah's sanity and apparent use of "accidental" magic the night before. Her mother had put her there to try to convince her that magic and waterbending wasn't real, as well as to get her to talk. The trio now understood what the accidental magic was for.

"What happened?" Harry gasped to a cop, "We three have a student in there! What happened? Is she alright?"

"I don't know," the man said honestly, "All I know is that a teenage girl is missing and a nurse drowned nowhere near water."

"What was the name of the missing student?" Snape asked, already knowing who it was.

"Sarah Denning," he replied. "She's apparently been missing before."

The only thought that ran through the trio's mind was that their employer was going to kill them for not doing their job the night before.

Sarah slunk through the sewers, making sure that by going underwater, she was covered in the filthy waters that surrounded her, making her unrecognizable to almost anyone. She was exhausted, but was more than ready to get going and get back to Hogwarts. The only problem was that she had no way of knowing where to go from where she was. She had been kept in the dark, and her school things had been locked into her mother's hotel room.

Sarah smiled evilly as her mother prepared for her own funeral, leaving for a few hours to identify the body that Sarah knew was a fake, but they thought was her. She'd used magic to speed up the decomposition process, and her brothers were sitting in the main room of the hotel, right across from her trunks.

She grinned as she broke the electronic lock on the door with melted ice, almost starting a fire in the process. The two boys were confused at the alarm, but raced outside once they realized it was the fire alarm. Sarah had quickly gone and hidden in the ice machine room, silently sticking a block of ice in the crack of the door, ensuring it would stay open for her. She felt a rush of relief as she found all of her school things, wand and robes included, in her trunk. She jolted, realizing that firemen were on their way to the room her clan was in, and hissed angrily. If there was ever a time that water was at her advantage, it was now since they were trying to douse nonexistent flames.

She grabbed a towel, shielding her face and features from them, but unbeknownst to her, a Gryffindor student was in these firefighter's ranks. He stared at her, and she at his wand sheath, before the two finally broke and he ordered the others to go on ahead and he'd see what was causing the holdup of water in this room.

"I know you're a witch. What are you doing here?" he asked harshly, "you could give us all away!"

She willed the smoke to form words on the walls. 'Shrink these school things. I'm leaving abuse.'

"Right. I won't stop you, then," he said as he shrunk her things with his wand. "Good luck, and may Merlin be with you."

'Thank you for not revealing me and for helping me. I'll repay you someday. What is your name? which way is Spinner's End?'

"No need. I've heard about what Harry Potter went through from his Muggles. If you're running away, then you're in the same bind. Good luck," he said before leaving.

'That was lucky,' Sarah thought before dropping the towel and putting the shrunken objects in her pockets. 'Too bad I don't know where Spinner's – oh, he left a map!'

Snape ran through the streets, his temper rising and his patience running extremely thin. Harry and Ron were beside him, and he was not happy at all in any matter about the latter tagging along for the ride after Harry had sent his patronus to Minerva. They were now following a lead of an unexplained fire in a hotel, which Snape knew her parents were hiding in. When they arrived, however, it was a false alarm and it was only a lock breaking and emitting harsh and angry smoke from water damage. Wait – water damage!

Dusk was breaking out over Muggle London, and the trio of Wizards reported their lack of findings to their employer and fellow staff members. Minerva told them to wait a few more days and to see if the Muggle police found anything before returning to her quarters to cry her eyes out.

Sarah slunk around the darker alleys for a while, using her accidental magic to get her an occasional meal of soup, to which the makers and restaurants were all shocked at the disappearances, while Sarah was grateful. She had a full enough stomach to survive just barely, even though she was also eating out of garbage bins every so often for a snack, ensuring to wash it with water if it was deemed worthy enough of her taste buds and pallet.

Once she was full, she slunk off to Diagon Alley, withdrawing all of her money from her bank accounts and running her Visa Debit card dry just before entering Wizardry London. She walked through the streets, not even caring who saw her since everybody thought her dead, and walked calmly over to an ally of hers that she remembered. She tossed a pebble at him, and he turned around in confusion.

"Sarah?" he asked before she silently hushed him with her finger to her lips and nodded. "Hey, mom, I'm going to go hang out with a friend for a while so we can practice for school. Is that okay?"

"Well…alright, but be careful. I don't want you to end up like that Denning girl on the news…"

"I know, mom, I'll be careful," he said before slinking off to Sarah. "Merlin's beard! You smell awful! What have you been doing, hiding in the sewers this whole time?"

Sarah nodded, and wrote out her big escape plan, and how she needed his help, and that it would most definitely ensure a location with the Reformed Marauders since this was the kind of things they lived for.

"Right. Give me the money, I'll be right back," he whispered, and she handed it all to him. All two thousand American Dollars' worth. "Wow, Sarah. How'd you get all this? Working?"

She again nodded.

"right. I'll be right back," he said before heading off to Gringotts. Ten minutes later, he returned with an extremely large wad of gold.

"Thanks," she croaked out in gratitude, and his eyes widened.

"You're welcome," he grinned happily. "You can talk when you're extremely Happy, can't you?"

She nodded before grabbing her trunk out of her pocket. She frowned, having no way to get it back to normal. Luckily for them, another fellow sneak was lurking nearby.

"Name's Fred Weasley," he introduced, "I noticed you look a bit messy. You alright?"

"She's a mute, but yeah, she's fine. She was just shoved into the sewers by her parents," Rocky answered smoothly. "She took all the Muggle money in their wallets as a thank you before taking off for Diagon Alley. Left them behind somewhere near the Leaky Cauldron…"

"Nice!" Fred beamed. "I'm on break. Want me to resize that so it'll fit in your pocket?" Sarah nodded, and he did so. "No need to thank me! Just visit the joke shop my twin and I own when you can, okay?"

"We will," Rocky answered happily, "Thank you, Mr. Weasley! So, Sarah, you talk about the Marauders as if you know them personally. Do you?"

"Shh!" she whispered excitedly bouncing up and down in place.

"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly.

"Don't be scared if they announce I'm dead on the radio," she whispered, "I planted a fake corpse in the sewers and altered the teeth to look like me."

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

The two days after Sarah had met Rocky in Diagon Alley, the Hogwarts staff was all soon gathered in Snape's Muggle home, listening intently to the radio. They were desperate for news of their missing student, and more than just anxious since none of the Aurors were able to locate her with 'Point Me' spells or any kind of detection spells. She was just _too _good at hiding, a regular Houdini. She was brave, they mused, for running away. She was cunning and smart for planning everything out, and loyal to whomever she was running away to. It was no wonder the hat couldn't place her, Harry thought to himself over a glass of firewhiskey. Snape, meanwhile, decided to take a better look at the officer's memories again.

'_I' m a mute, but when I write a note, nobody listens. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the nearest stream.'_

It had been her handwriting, there was no doubt, and there were no streams nearby. Unless…

"Merlin's beard," Snape muttered in his bedroom as the others remained in the living room below, "It was in front of us all along. It was a code. 'If you need me I'll be in the nearest stream.' The sewers must be where she's hiding!"

"This just in," a radio announcer said, and the staff listened in harshly, "The decomposed body of a female was found in the sewers earlier today. The parents have brought in dental records and identified it as none other than Sarah Denning, the girl missing from Wool's Asylum."

* * *

Somewhat of a cliffie. Next chapter includes Snape's reaction and what Sarah will do now that she's a free witch!

Review!


	10. Spirit Who Cannot Be Broken

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

A/N: Bold lettering in this chapter is Snape's voice, while Italics is Sarah's, and both is both together. I own nothing of Harry Potter, or Disney. Oh, and italics will also emphasize something if it's not Sarah singing.

* * *

Snape and the other Hogwarts staff stared in shock at the radio's announcement. He went outside, not wanting to hear how she died, and began walking the streets of Spinner's End. He walked the streets for what seemed like years before finally someone urged him to get back inside before he caught his death.

Severus did the only thing he could to relieve his stress when it doesn't come to Potions' making – he didn't feel like doing so today, knowing his magic would be so insane that it would cause the elements to all go haywire. So, he did the only other option he could think of: Kareoke. He, however, made sure that it was him, and only him, that was singing. The others were startled by it, but they watched in awe as he began singing.

As soon as he was finished, he sighed before apparating immediately to the Ministry of Magic, a fleeting whim on his mind. If he could just get to Kingsley!

"Severus," Kingsley said appalled, "What's wrong?"

"She's not dead," Severus said quickly, "The Denning girl. I think she's in hiding so that her parents and the Muggles think she's dead so she'll be free. If you'll recall, I did something similar at the end of the war while waiting for my freedom verdict…"

"Yes, I was thinking that as well, but nobody would take the offer," Kingsley said sadly, "Would _you _look for her, Severus? You've got a cunning mind and excellent abilities as a spy. You could find her easily. The only problem is that the others released the Trace on her wand just after hearing she was dead on the Muggle Radio."

"Thank you, Kingsley," Severus said relieved, "If I don't find her in a week, then we can assume it's her. Is this suitable?"

"Yes," Kingsley said, and Severus smiled before apparating back out to Spinner's End.

SDSDSDSDSD(Sarah PoV)SDSDSDSDSD

This has got to be the weirdest thing I've ever seen. They're burying a body that is supposed to be me! It seems weird, but I think the trace on my wand is gone. This was weird – I cast a silent notice-me-not charm, and was appalled when a letter didn't swoop down. Looks like I'm a free witch one hundred percent all the way, baby! Now all I needed to do was buy a firebolt and be free as a bird!

"We will miss you," my brothers sobbed as the people lowered "My" coffin into the ground. Wow, this was so sad and funny at the same time!

I couldn't help but think of the man who kept me sane throughout all my problems at Hogwarts, as well as the thoughts of returning to keeping me sane in the asylum that thought I was a walking nut house. I should know better than anyone what crazy is – my mom's a few bricks short of a load, a few fries short of a Happy Meal, and – my favorite analogy – a few ingredients short of an operating potion. I missed him dearly, but by sending him an owl I'd reveal myself to my parents, who were still clinging so very desperately to the hope that I'd faked my death. Which was right, but the world didn't need to know yet.

I smiled softly, missing my favorite head of house and Marauder. I wanted to sing a song to pass the time, so I decided to test out my voice and sing my feelings to him, wherever he may have been. I softly sang "I will Always Return Reprise" to test it, and my voice was working perfectly as I thought of my Potions Professor.

After a few hours, I noticed someone else coming towards my freshly dug grave. This person was dressed in all black, but could it be? No, it surely couldn't! but it was! My Prince had come for me! I vaguely heard him singing, and I realized he was singing _sound the bugle _from _Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. _I smiled, knowing that if he was singing this, I had a chance to comfort him and let him know I was alright. I waited for the part where, in the movie, Spirit had seen the snow form his herd.

This was the ultimate prank, I realized, and it had had dire consequences that had almost killed the man I loved so dearly. I covered myself in water, willing it to become snow. When he began singing 'There's a voice that calls', I began walking towards him, breathing in and hoping my voice would work properly this time.

HPHPHPHP (End Sarah PoV) HPHPHPHP

"Well, this is bad," Harry announced to the staff room, "There's an extremely slim possibility that Sarah's alive, but we can't use the trace to find her since it's been removed from her wand, meaning that she's probably cast anti-detection spells by now. Any ideas?"

"Get Severus out in the open," Hermione said with a shrug, "It's obvious by their heartbeats that they desperately love each other to no end."

"Thirty Galleons says they'll start snogging as soon as they recognize each other," Harry bet, and the others stared at him. "What?"

"I'll take that bet," Luna said mystically, "I think they'll kiss a couple times, then be content with hugging in relief."

"You're on, Luna," Harry said with a maniacal twinkle in his eyes that rivaled that of Dumbledore.

SMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSM

Snape approached Sarah's grave mere hours after her funeral, one hundred percent alone, and close to the time that the cemetery would be closing. The other teachers had since abandoned him and his desire to prove that Sarah was in hiding as he'd been, as she'd have come forward to the Ministry before now. They also brought up the fact that if she was truly alive, she'd be returning to Hogwarts in time, and to leave her be until then. If she wanted solitude, then so be it, they wouldn't deny it to her, even though the fact that Snape was giving up his own solitude to look for a missing-presumed-dead student was disturbing to them, since he, too, liked his solitude. He felt more alone then than ever before. It had been a week since her death had been announced, and he was due at the Ministry soon.

"I miss you," he whispered. "I don't know how, but you fixed me. I've gotten over Lily, now. Please, Tipsy… stop this prank… please…just once more I want to see your smiling face…"

'I will always…always return,' he could have sworn he heard in the distance.

"Yes, you always did have a way to return to me, you little hooligan," he whispered as he knelt down in front of the grave. "I know it's not much of a good-bye if you _are _truly dead, but… I remember how much you liked singing and Disney movies…"

'Then sing for me,' he thought, recalling that that was what she would have said. Hesitating for only a moment, he began to sing in a soft baritone, voicing everything he could through one song that came to mind about someone who had given up so easily.

**Sound the Bugle Now.**

**Play it just for me.**

**As the seasons change, remember how I used to be.**

**Now I can't go on. **

**I can't even start.**

**I've got nothing left; Just an empty heart.**

**I'm a soldier, wounded so I must give up the fight. **

**There's nothing more for me.**

**Lead me away.**

**Leave me lying here.**

Teardrops began falling, and he was glad the other teachers weren't here to see him crying over his most prized student. If they'd seen him now, they'd be mocking him for years to come, even if she _was _loved by them all. Ron especially wouldn't let him live it down. He didn't care – she understood him best.

**Sound the bugle now.**

**Tell them I don't care.**

**There's not a road I know that leads to anywhere.**

**Without a light I fear that I will stumble in the dark.**

**Lay right down the side, not to go on.**

**Then from on high, somewhere in the distance,**

**There's a voice that calls "_Remember who you are._**

_**If you lose yourself, your courage soon will follow.**_

_**So be strong tonight.**_

_**Remember who you are."**_

Severus stood in shock as a snowman calmly walked towards him as he stared at it in shock. Sarah's voice could be heard, but he knew it may very well have been a projection by an unseen enemy or a recording that someone put on. But as the voice kept singing 'be strong tonight', the snowman touched Severus' cheek like one would a lover, and he couldn't help but shiver as the snowman brought its lips to his. He gasped in shock as the snow melted to reveal a dirty, but very much alive, witch that he was mourning over. She pulled away, smiling, and continued the song.

_Yeah, you're a soldier now! _

_Fighting in a battle!_

_To be free what's more!_

_Yeah, that's worth fighting for!_

"Sarah," he whispered, "Sarah, is that really you?"

"Yes, it's me," she said calmly, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Sorry I had to take it to this extreme to escape from my parents. I can't believe they bought the fake corpse I planted…"

She was cut off by him hugging her tightly, burying his nose in her hair to drink in her rich scent longingly with adoration that she'd come up with something so elaborate that it would make the whole world think she was dead. He had done it, but not of his own accord or planning. He held her close since he didn't want to lose her if this was just a dream, or a hallucination from the cold that he detested so very much. He didn't even care for the fact that he had to hunt past the horrible stench of the sewers to find her scent faint, but only that it was there.

"Please, come home," he whispered without realizing it.

"I _am _home," she told him, breaking away to look into his relieved eyes to show him that she was just as relieved to find him as he was her. "And better yet, the trace is gone."

"Then allow me to let the magical world know that you are very much alive so that we can get you back into the Marauders," he said hugging her again. She put her ear against his chest, listening to his firm heartbeat. "I don't want to lose you again."

"And you won't," she promised, "if I have to sleep with you to prove it, I will. My parents won't get their grubby hands on me again – I made sure of that when I faked my death and led you guys on with clues that I was still alive."

"I noticed that," he said quietly, "the note was extremely well coded for a spy to take note of since it would count as suicide and escape. And drowning that corpse, which was well played out; that baffled everyone since they all know that you're a wonderful swimmer. We should have known that. But how did you alter the dental work?"

"Accidental magic, and it wasn't easy," she confessed, "It took me a few hours to get the teeth alone, not even including all the feces and urine all over it and all in the body. Nobody would have been for the wiser except you. Out of everyone I know you're the only one who picked up on my clues and began trying to follow me. Thank you. It's good to know that someone cares about me."

"I don't care about you," he said softly, and her stomach dropped to the bottom of the world.

* * *

As you can see, Snape singing is something that would probably scare the crap out of anyone and everyone. I imagine he would have a nice baritone or tenor if he were a singer, but he may or may not have had the time to practice this during the wars and since the Marauders would torment him for it.

I know this puts him extremely OOC now, but please remember when the story is set and why I have Snape the way he is. Wouldn't you get lonely after being rejected by the love of your life and then being rejected by everyone else in the world your entire life? I know I'd settle for anyone I could if I were our snarky Potions Master.

Review!


	11. Survivor Poons

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

Italics in this chapter is writing and reading.

* * *

Sarah looked at Snape as though she'd just been slapped. After everything she'd done to escape from the asylum and to get to him, specifically, he betrayed her and told her he didn't care when he so obviously did by singing over her grave and hugging her. but his face and voice had been so cold when he'd said it…

"I love you," he whispered, and she looked up at him with tears forming in her eyes. He wiped them away smoothly with his thumbs as his hands cupper her face. "I love you, you ingenious crazy little lunatic. I… you probably didn't hear me say it, did you?"

She looked at him longingly, wondering what he was talking about.

"You fixed me," he said quietly, "I used to pine after Lily, but now… it's gone. She was still my best friend throughout my childhood, but I'm over her now. She's dead, and there's nothing I can do about it but to get over it and move on. Miss her, but let her go. I realized that when you faked your death and the reality of the situation I'd put myself in came crashing down on me…"

"Oh, Professor!" she sobbed as she flung herself onto him.

"Severus," he said quietly. "If you would, please, I'd prefer it."

"As you wish…Severus," she sighed, breathing in the cool musty scent of potions from his robes. "Should we go to Spinner's End?"

"No," he said smiling softly, "I told Kingsley I'd find you if it killed me. Most of the other Professors and Order members thought I was crazy until I reminded them that I, too, faked my death to gain my freedom from oppression. They decided to let me go on my own since I'm a stubborn bastard."

"You're _my _stubborn bastard," Sarah said without thinking, and she realized that she hadn't confessed her love to him yet even though she was already acting like his lover. "And I wouldn't have it any other way since no other male has ever gotten this close to me and earned the perfect compliment."

Severus pulled away, raising an eyebrow.

"I love you, too, you happy snarky bastard," she said smiling, and the light that entered his black eyes had been completely worth every ounce of worry she'd had about getting away and getting to him. It was worth everything she'd done to gain his affections and praise, never once should she have doubted that it would be.

"You love me," he whispered, tears forming in his eyes, he held her tightly against his chest and apparated them back to Spinner's End. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words from someone, anyone, who would be able to look past my harsh exterior."

"You set it up as a barrier to keep anyone away who was only interested in a fling," she said confirming her suspicions, "You didn't want to get hurt again like you did with Lily. You wanted to make sure this was the real deal, and not just some idiot out for profit. I don't blame you – you know why."

"Yes," he whispered, "Yes, I do very much. I know it scares you, but we can wait for anything more physical than this until you're ready. I've waited this long, and I may not be a patient man, but I'll wait for you. You can't rush art."

"Art is a bang," Sarah quoted with a smirk, "An explosion of beauty to be treasured."

"And I'll look forward to it when we begin to shag," he reciprocated, her eyes widening, "But when you're ready for that, and only then will I willingly take my trousers off in front of you. If it makes you feel better, I'll lock the bathroom whenever I'm in there."

"I don't know," Sarah blushed deeply, "I kind of wanted to see you…"

Severus' eyes lit up once more before he took off his cloaks and shirt to reveal a chiseled torso that was so riddled with scars, it seemed to Sarah that that was all that made him up. She knew what these were – death eater reminders and punishments. Judging by the positions of some of them, however, she gathered that he'd had a run-in with some nasty magical creatures, a werewolf definitely among them judging by one particular scar on his upper left arm.

"I knew it," he murmured almost inaudibly.

"Beautiful," she breathed, caressing the werewolf claw marks. "All these from Death Eater meetings… wow… I had no _idea _they were this hellish…"

"You…like it?" Snape asked confused, and she nodded in awe. His eyes were filled with relief just before he returned his clothing to his body. "Thank you. You're the first person to have ever called anything to do with me 'beautiful'…"

"Ministry?" she asked, holding out her hand, and he nodded before taking it and apparating them immediately there, rushing her up to Kingsley's office. He smirked at the secretary, who he noted was, somehow, still Umbridge, and Sarah smirked.

Sarah clucked her tongue twice to create a 'clip-clop' sound, and the toad quickly hurried and informed her employer of his company. His eyes widened as the duo entered the room, and Rita Skeeter was glaring maliciously at them with an evil light in her eyes. Sarah turned to Kingsley and explained why she'd run away, and that she had a sixth sense about some people that was able to sense animosity from them. She pointed at Rita, saying that she had animosity, and that she was picking up animalistic vibes that resembled a beetle or a cockroach of some sort.

Severus looked in pride as his student wrote her story, glaring at Rita that if she published anything that indicated that she had done anything aside from running away in the manner she'd written, she'd hunt the woman down and give her hell to pay in the form that the woman would no longer be able to tell lies or write slander. Or, Merlin forbid, that her form of her inner animal portrayed by her attitude and actions would come out permanently, never to recede until she made an Unbreakable Vow to write only the truth.

"You really think you can do something like that?" Rita scoffed.

"You're an illegal animagus," Sarah said, "A beetle if I'm correct. Yes, and James Potter was an illegal Stag animagus, with Peter Pettigrew as an illegal rat and Sirius Black as an illegal dog."

"How did you know about their illegal forms?" Severus asked appalled.

"I've got my sources," Sarah smiled evilly. "And no truces have been broken in this meeting, I can assure you, you pompous slandering bitch. If you're smart, you'll leave that part out."

"This is why I told you not to give up on her," Severus laughed, "The kid's a genius, a prodigy! To give up on her so soon would be foolish and would only result in heavier losses!"

Sarah couldn't help but blush at his words of praise, her heart soaring high above the clouds and far beyond the heights of Mount Olympus.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

"So, Severus went to the Ministry yesterday," Hermione said to Harry, Ron and Ginny, who were all gathered together in the living room while letting the kids all play in the backyard together.

"Joy," Harry muttered, picking up the Daily Prophet from where she'd slapped it down on the table. He took a sip of coffee, knowing it wouldn't be enough to get his day started, and sprayed it out and almost choked on it as he saw the picture of his Potions Master and his student together on the front page, the former smirking – was that, _pride _in his eyes? – and the latter smiling like she'd just accomplished a victory at the Triwizard Tournament. "Bloody hell!"

"What?" Ron asked, looking over his friend's shoulder alongside Ginny. "What the hell is that Greasy git doing on the front page?"

"It's called 'reading', Ronald," Ginny scowled as she read the article.

**_Abused student fakes death_**

_Sarah Denning, fifteen and entering her sixth year of Hogwarts, was reported dead by the Muggle Authorities on June twenty-sixth. She was proven to be alive, however, exactly one week later by Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She has been living on her own for more than ten years and has not been sorted into any of the four Hogwarts Houses yet even though they put the hat on her every year. Denning, who seems to bear a grudge against certain members in the Ministry of Magic for reasons unknown, has insisted that we give you her side of the story, with her exact handwriting._

_"Simply, put, to those who are actually interested, not all Muggles are bad, but my parents are by far worse than most. If you thought the Muggles that Harry Potter was living with were bad, you haven't seen anything yet. Try to picture those Muggles, only add in a swear word as every other word, a beer bottle in the woman's hand at all times, and two older brothers who won't lift a finger to help you. But, I hated it, so when my mother screamed at me to get out of her house when I was five, I did so. I don't know about you, but this is exactly what my childhood was like, so I thought it normal._

_Until I went to Hogwarts. It was then that I realized that this wasn't normal and that my childhood was supposed to be filled with loving memories of my family. Now, however, looking back on my childhood, most of it is spent camping and scrounging or hunting for my next meals. When I received my first Hogwarts Letter, it was a godsend, a miracle. When I finally had to leave for summer vacation, I wished that I could stay with one of the staff members, even though I'd known it wasn't allowed at the time. It's still not allowed anymore, as far as I know, unless a child has been removed from an abusive home._

_At the beginning of this summer, however, my mother saw fit to hunt me down and skin me like an animal, claiming that I was a monster and an abomination. If it hadn't been for the loyal companionship of a very dear soon-to-be third year Hufflepuff friend of mine, who I will remain anonymous, I'd have died at my mother's hands on the train. As soon as I got to the platform at King's Cross, my mother was waiting for me and almost literally dragged me away from the station down to the nearest insane asylum she could find: Wool's._

_I remained at Wool's for two weeks, slowly but surely putting my escape plan into motion, and gradually using tiny amounts of "accidental" magic to destroy the Muggle security system on my bedroom since I was in a top security "bedroom", which really felt more like a vault, since all we were allowed to have in there were our hygiene products, pillows and blankets, a water bottle for good behavior, and, if we were really lucky (which I was for good behavior), a window without bars on it. I had finally finished my plan after two weeks, ran through the window, using more "accidental" magic to close it, but not before I wrote out a letter to my caretakers explaining why I was leaving. My exact words in the note were: "I' m a mute, but when I write a note, nobody listens. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the nearest stream." At the time, I was mute because of Traumatic shock, but once I reached the stream I was looking for – AKA, the sewers – I began to relax and to try to get my voice back. I'd had more than enough at Wool's, and was sick of getting treated like a freak that didn't deserve to live. A few hours after my escape, I began plotting my next step – planting a fake body._

_This section was very simple for me to do, albeit a very long and grueling process. All I had to do was grab the body and use magic to move the teeth while not breaking the skeletal frame. I only did so with a corpse that was already rotting, of course. The Muggles bought it, and I was soon home free, as they like to put it. However, that was the least of my worries, as I now had to spend a week traveling through Muggle London's sewers to reach different destinations._

_I admit that I had help with this endeavor. The day after I found the body, while my parents were identifying it as mine, I went to their hotel room, using melting ice from the ice machines, and caused a smoke bomb to occur by destroying a Muggle locking device on the door. This caused an evacuation of the building, and I was lucky enough to find a wizard kind enough to shrink all my things, which my parents had taken away from me at King's Cross, to pocket sized while he was fulfilling his job as a Muggle fire-fighter. Two days after I planted the body, I found the friend that stood up for me on the train, and we were able to go to Gringotts and transfer all of my Muggle money into Knuts, Sickles and Galleons, which I made sure to give him a bit of as a thank you. I needed further help however, to stash my newly acquired money for survival in my trunks since we're unable to perform magic. Luckily for us, a fellow prankster by the last name of Weasley – and I won't reveal which one, he knows who he is – restored my things to normal size so that I could store my money and then shrank them once more for me so I could travel._

_The most fun part of the trip, however, was by far the final leg of my journey. I had just finished watching my parents bury my decoy with a funeral, which was very funny and awkward to watch, and was startled to find a number of classmates from Hogwarts approaching. By hiding out in the shadows of the graveyard my decoy was at, I was able to figure out their motives for visiting: guilt at bullying, admiration for a prank I'd played last year, or even to apologize for ignoring me since I was never sorted into any house. I was even more shocked to find that a few of my Professors had visited my decoy's grave, Professors Potter, Weasley, Flitwick, Longbottom, and Lovegood amongst them. But by far the most shocking for me was when Professor Snape came to visit the grave just before the cemetery closed for the night. The look on his face was priceless, and for the sake of my sanity I will keep it to myself, as I don't want to get detention for the rest of my school days._

_However, what was even more priceless was the look that Minister Shacklebolt had on his face when Professor Snape saw me, grabbed me on impulse by my arm, and apparated me into his office. I then had to go through and explain everything I'd done and why, to which Professor Snape's eyes were first narrowed in rage, and then wide in shock by the time I was done. I couldn't blame the Professor's remarks about my horrid smell, though – I hadn't bathed in more than a week and had spent most of my time in the sewers. So, naturally, I stayed in Professor Snape's guest bedroom at his house. Yes, he has a guest bedroom, for all those of whom he taught and thought to be heartless. I spent a good hour in his shower, at which point I was quite glad to have had free access to so that I could properly clean up from the insanity of the week. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be surprised in the sorting hat were to put me in Slytherin this year, if not for the fact that I'm a Muggle born…"_

_In short, we discover that things aren't always what they seem in someone's house life and innocent and happy-go-lucky facades aren't to be taken seriously. Miss Denning's façade has proven that point, and she is the epitome of such a façade. Perhaps there are other appearances that aren't what they seem? A possible sour Potions Master having an affair with someone secretly, a Defense Professor having nightmares of his times in wars, an Arithmancy Professor blackmailing someone, or a Divination Professor only having the job because none other would accept them, perhaps. The world may never know, but one thing is for sure: we must never trust the Muggle news in such a manner again. Rita Skeeter Edited and examined by Sarah Denning (who doesn't trust me!)_

"That bitch!" Ginny yelled as soon as they finished the article, all three of the Golden Trio's faces flushing crimson.

"I'll kill her if it's the last thing I do," Harry growled out in Parseltongue.

* * *

Snape is probably OOC to the extreme now, but I can't help but give him someone to fall in love with that he doesn't have to worry about them being hated because of what house she's in. He lived his life with nothing but unrequited love, he deserves to be loved back!

Virtual candy for the reviewers.


	12. Staff and Marauders Meet

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"Severus, what is this?" McGonagall asked as she looked at the front page of the Daily Prophet that the Golden Trio had just been looking at. They'd taken it straight to her, and she'd called an emergency staff meeting.

"Ah, that," he smirked, "Just what it looks like it is. As it just so happens, I was right."

"How'd she react when you saw her?" Luna asked, honestly curious. "Did you hug?"

"Or start shagging in the cemetery over her grave?" the Muggle Studies teacher asked, and Severus shot her a glare.

"No, we hugged for a bit, each trying to believe that the other wasn't a figment of the other's imagination," Severus said, giving Luna and Harry a look that told them he'd explain at their next meeting as the Marauders. "Now, I believe we need to do something about those blasted Marauders?"

"Good heavens, no!" Minerva cried out, "Severus, no, we are _not _expelling them! Their pranks and jokes are harmless, and you saw how respectful they were of the teachers and students alike! They just want a little fun and are extremely flamboyant and anonymous about it, that's all!"

"Fine, but if a potion blows up from their pranks, I will hunt them down and use them as Potions ingredients," he snarled. "She explained everything in there just as it happened. Ironically, I was just missing her numerous times throughout that escapade. I'd seen the hotel that the fire-fighters were at, and I'd been to the asylum just after she'd broken out, but I had no idea that she was who I was constantly trailing, or even that it was the same person. If I had, I'd have dragged her into the open long before then."

"But, now the problem arises of where she's going to stay for the summers," Neville protested, "She's got numerous options since most of us are below age sixty and fit the requirements for the laws."

"Neville's right," Hermione said, "We need an atmosphere that will both challenge her and give her the love and care that she needs."

"Why not an apprentice-ship?" Severus asked, "She's always coming up to me and asking more questions about potions."

"I think we should let her decide," Harry butt in before anyone else could suggest anything, "But we need to give her all the options and the pros and cons of each option that she has, as well as any side jobs that the teacher may have during the summer."

"I brew for St. Mungo's and Poppy during the summer, so I usually am alone but usually so anyways even though I usually like it so," Snape cut in at first, "On the plus side, though, she'll have as much solitude as she wants and extra potions lessons if she needs it, as well as extra things to add on her resume."

"I've got three kids, so it might get a little hectic," Harry admitted, "But we can teach her defense and it will help her prepare for motherhood a little better, though."

"I second Harry's motion, only with Arithmancy and Muggle Defense," Hermione said. "We can also help her in Charms if she needs it."

"I'm single, and since I'm a guy, she probably wouldn't want to go with me," Neville admitted, "but I can give her some help in Herbology if she did want to come to my place, and there's a few first and second years that live on my block, so I can keep an eye out on them and make sure they don't get too rowdy with her while she gets some other contact with students."

"Luna?" Minerva asked, and she looked dreamily at the Headmistress. "Your home?"

"Hm, I live alone, like Neville. Nobody usually comes by my house, though, except the Weasleys. I could teach her Divination, but I could also teach her Defense, as Harry made sure to teach us in the DA, and some Charms and Transfiguration. I would, however, be willing to offer my house as an escape if she wanted to use it as such should she wish to live with another teacher," Luna offered.

"I second that," Severus added, "Merlin forbid that she not get the privacy she needs. I know I needed some privacy when I was her age."

"You still need your privacy, Severus," Harry jabbed, and the Potions Master scowled. "I'm playing, big guy. I'd be more than willing to let her visit them if she was at my place."

"We agree," Ron and Hermione said. Ron however added a quick "so long as it's not Snape".

"Well, all in favor of her living with Miss Lovegood," Minerva asked, and all hands went up except for Snape's. "Very well, then. It's settled – Miss Denning will remain with Miss Lovegood during the summers until she comes of age."

"Which is a year and a month or so," Snape smirked, and the others glared at him. "Speaking of which, Mr. Potter, I'm going to need to talk to you in my house later about your children coming to Hogwarts and their attitudes in my classroom…"

"Oh, Merlin, Severus, don't start that!" Minerva snapped before he disappeared out the staff room doors. "Severus Tobias Snape, you get back here right now!"

"Actually, Minerva, I have to go check up on our Crumple-horned snorcack," Luna said, "And get Sarah situated in my home. Farewell! Watch out for Nargles!"

"Well, I'd best go see what Severus wants," Harry said as he followed Luna out of the staff room and the two tore to the Potions' Master's office.

"Spinner's End," Snape called out as he let the green flames engulf him. The two fellow Marauders nodded and followed in suit. They flicked their wand to clean off the soot from their robes, and Severus smirked at them evilly.

"Miss Tipsy has a suggestion to the fellow Marauders," she grinned maniacally as she walked downstairs with wet hair. "How was the staff meeting?"

"Fine," Severus smirked as he closed off the Fireplace. "You'll be staying with Miss Even until you come of age."

"Cool!" Sarah grinned, "Will I be able to go almost wherever I want?"

"We'll discuss that when we get home," she said vaguely, "now, what was this suggestion?"

"Remember the friend I spoke of in the article? He's in Hufflepuff, and he's a really big fan of the Marauders," Sarah grinned, "He's got some really good ideas, I've heard him telling me some while we were on the train, he's got some great materials. I think we should let him in, and I _did _promise him that he could at least come in contact with the Marauders in one way or another since he helped me with my money problem at Gringotts…"

"All in favor of letting him in," Snape asked, and all four hands went up. "Well, the four houses are now even. We'll be sure to be the ones to punish him if he ever gets caught, explaining that we have some insane form of torture or something if the crime is heinous enough. Mr. Hunter, could you go get our newest member?"

"But of course," Harry grinned before apparating away to the young Hufflepuff's house and knocking on the door. A woman answered, confused. "Good morning, is Rocky Underwood home? I'd like to talk to him, if I may."

"Of course, come on in," she invited, and Harry stepped in, sizing the house up as the Muggle went to fetch her son. Harry noted that he had quite a few younger siblings, two sisters and two brothers of varying ages.

"Professor Potter!" Rocky called down, worried and shocked. "Am I in trouble, sir?"

"No, I actually came to fulfill a promise that a mutual friend of ours made," he smiled, "You still wish to meet your four idols, do you not?"

"Oh, yes, sir!" Rocky said excitedly, "Mom, can I go with Professor Potter for today? _Please?_"

"Rest assured, ma'am, no harm will come to your son," Harry promised quickly as the look of worry crossed the woman's face.

"Very well. Actually, things are getting a little hectic around here… could you possibly?" she asked, and Harry nodded. "Oh, thank you. We don't know how long this will last…"

"No worries," Harry said smoothly, "Rocky, go grab your trunks and pack like you were going to school and make no mistake, I will know what you've planted in that trunk of yours…"

"Yes, sir," Rocky said excitedly before dashing up and racing around his room. ten minutes later, an amused Harry smirked as he walked in on the student. "Where is it?"

"Looking for something?" Harry asked, and the terrified boy looked at his defense Professor.

"I can't find my uniform!" he said frantically, "My dad gave it to me for my birthday before… before…"

"I understand," Harry said putting his hands on the boy's shoulders, "Accio Rocky's missing uniform," he said, and the uniform flew into his hand.

"Thank you, sir," Rocky sniffled before turning back to his trunk. "Okay, clothes, Potions things, wand, homework, and extra parchment and journals. Okay, sir, I think I'm all set."

"Well, then, let's get you to say good-bye to your siblings for now and then we'll be on our way," Harry smiled evilly, "And then once you're done, I'll take you to the Marauders' hideout."

Rocky's eyes ballooned, and he was literally bouncing with excitement as he raced downstairs without his things. Harry laughed and shrunk the student's trunks before sticking them in his pockets and going downstairs. The boy bounded up to him, extremely excited, and Harry called out a farewell to Rocky's mother. He approached the fireplace, pulling out the Floo Powder and smirking.

"This is a two-step process, Rocky," Harry explained. "We'll take you to one place, and then the hideout is connected only to three places, and that is private information. What I'm about to show you is top secret, and can never be revealed."

"By Merlin's beard," Rocky promised, and Harry grinned before going to his quarters. He stepped out and watched as Rocky landed neatly. "Did I do well?"

"Yes, and now for the second part," Harry smiled and grabbed more Floo Powder and stepping into the flames, "Spinner's End!"

Rocky followed in suit, only to be shell-shocked by who was sitting before him.

* * *

Yes, the Reformed Marauders reveal themselves. I really do like spoiling Rocky, even if he's just a new character.

Review please?


	13. The New Additions

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"Professor Snape? Professor Lovegood? Sarah? Professor Potter, what's going on here?" Rocky asked confused as Harry flicked his wand three times, first to clean the soot off of them and then to block the fireplace.

"Welcome Rocky, to Spinner's End," Snape said slyly, "This is my home during the summer and the secret hideout of the four – hopefully five soon – Marauders. I am Mr. Slick. Professor Lovegood is Miss Even because everyone thinks that she is odd, with Sarah as Miss Tipsy and Professor Potter as Hunter."

"You – _you're _the Marauders?" Rocky asked in disbelief, "but – but you're _teachers_!"

"No I'm not," Sarah smiled evilly, "but that's what throws everybody off. We act like we're kids as the Marauders in secret, and keep up our normal selves otherwise. It's a wonderful way to vent our lack of childhood, really, if you think about it."

"Yes, it really is," Severus smiled before shuddering. "I still say I want to redecorate this bloody house."

"Then do so," Harry said sitting Rocky down on the couch while he sat on the floor. "Now, all in favor of adding Rocky to the infamous gang of the Reformed Marauders, say 'aye'."

There were four 'aye's, with Rocky too astounded to do anything. Severus simply chuckled and looked at him contemplating.

"How about Mr. Bam-bam?" he said, and the three looked at him like he was crazy. "What? It's a name from an old show called 'The Flintstones', who lived in bedrock, and the boy named Bam-bam was in love with a girl named Pebbles. I don't see why not."

"Actually," Harry said thoughtfully after a few more minutes, "That's a good one. Nobody would ever see the connection between that and Rocky's name."

"Or we could call him Mr. Satyr, since Percy Jackson and the Olympians has a Satyr named Grover Underwood," Sarah said, which the others also contemplated.

"How did you all pick your names?" Rocky asked, and the others all smiled.

"Luna got hers because her first name means 'Moon' in Spanish," Harry explained, "I was hunting Horcruxes for Voldemort during my seventh year, and so I was called Hunter. Snape supposedly has oily hair – which has been proven otherwise by tests – and his animagus form is a snake, and so he is Mr. Slick. Miss Tipsy – well, she's a bit off her rocker sometimes, but only when she's hyper, which is never in class or outside of it since she's always alone when it comes to other students. Which would you prefer your name to be? Do you have a request?"

"I kind of like both ideas," Rocky said, "But… can I go with my dad's name?"

"Which was…?" Harry asked, both males raising an eyebrow at their student.

"Haru," Rocky said, and the adults gaped at him.

"It's possible," Snape said before a patronus appeared before him. There was silence for a few moments as he registered the squirrel's words. "Rocky, keep working on that nickname," Snape said quickly before reopening the Floo and going to Hogwarts.

Harry shrugged, motioning for Rocky to leave his things, to which the young wizard was confused until Harry explained that he had a different charge to take to Diagon Alley, so Professor Snape would take him that year. Sarah, however, went up to her room while Luna went back to her home. Harry apparated Rocky away, knowing Snape would send a patronus for a worry if he had one.

HPHPHPHP(**Two Weeks Later**)HPHPHPHP

"Help!" a woman could be heard screaming before she hit the ground and the man put a glove to her back, causing her to seize up, and at length, killing her.

"Momma," a young boy was sobbing behind a teenage male.

"Well, well, the little freak had time to reproduce," the masked man smirked evilly. "I think it's time we get rid of you monsters once and for all."

"Momma… MOMMA!" the younger two males yelled in panic, their magic making itself manifest in the most powerful ways possible. The Muggle was at his wits' end dodging the blows, and Rocky focused on what little training he did watch from classes. Without a second thought, he pulled out his wand.

The Muggle rammed Rocky against the wall before grabbing the two youngest siblings and launching them into a cupboard before grabbing a knife and stabbing them numerous times before casting a powerful _Sectumsempra_ at the two. Their tiny arms were gashed open, and the two were soon subjected to a silencing curse before getting locked inside the cupboard under the stairs. The three older children were now panicking, and Rocky was trying to cast stunning curse after stunning curse to no avail. He was soon sent spiraling backwards and detained with powerful cords, but not before he got a glimpse of something that chilled him to the bones: the Dark Mark. The second daughter was soon grabbed, yanked upstairs, and Rocky and his brother were forced to listen as their sister's screams of agony filled the house.

Unbeknownst to them, the half-blood Death Eater, who'd escaped from Azkaban, was raping her, subjecting her to the Cruciatus curse, and repeating it all over again. four hours later, each piercing scream was still like nails on the chalkboard to their young ears, and the two immediately knew the worst had happened as their sister's agonized screaming was cut off by a loud choking sound. The Death Eater walked calmly downstairs, covered in sweat and his mask discarded, and the two boys knew that if someone didn't help them soon, they'd die.

Suddenly, without warning, his head whipped around and he jerked his wand into his hand before the door to Rocky's home burst open to reveal a very upset Professor Snape, who'd felt the excess magic within a Muggle household. His eyes widened at the sight, and then to the two crying wizards, and finally, the sobbing new Marauder recruit. He began dueling the other Death Eater immediately, their magic crackling powerfully. He looked at the group, sizing them up, and sent a patronus charm to Luna for help. Ten minutes later, two Aurors showed up at the door to pick up the dead woman's body and to collect the young children, with Snape still locked in a duel with the Death Eater.

"I'll get you for this, you traitor, Snape!" the man yelled before casting a protection charm.

"I'd love to watch you try, Rookwood," Snape snarled before the man apparated away. "And I'd love nothing more than to gut you like a fish."

"Momma," the smaller of the two sobbed, "Ruby… Roxanne… Royce…"

"I'll take the underage wizard, if you don't mind," Severus said calmly, "I'd prefer for all five to remain together, but I don't think it will happen… Rocky, where are the other three?"

"Momma… momma wrote a will… it was in her top desk drawer," Rocky sobbed, and Severus summoned it magically. "Cupboard… Ruby dead…"

"Thank you, Mister Underwood. Aurors Bones and Creevey, if you would please take this so that it may be evaluated and upheld, and I shall take young Mr. Underwood back to my place to patch him up and to see how much damage his assailant did," Severus said formally, and his two former students nodded before taking the will and the corpse and apparating to the ministry. "Well, since I was also on the scene, I need to remain here until more Aurors arrive."

He began exploring the house, prodding different doors open with his wand. As soon as he opened the upstairs bedroom that Ruby was in, however, he immediately raced to the bathroom and vomited. He hadn't seen any actions like this since his Death Eater days, and even then, nobody had ever dared to rape a child so young. He went downstairs, holding his hand over his mouth to keep from vomiting, and immediately prodded open the cupboard door to reveal two tiny bodies whose terrified and desperate faces held no light and blank eyes.

"Oi, Snape!" a familiar voice rang out, and Severus looked over to find Lee Jordan and Ernie MacMillan racing towards the house. "What'd you do to them, you greasy git? I knew you were a Death Eater!"

"No," Rocky sobbed, lunging at his Professor. "No, don't go… please… I'm scared… don't leave me… please, Professor… please…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Mr. Underwood," Severus said calmly, "Now if you would please detach yourself from my robes so that I may go to the Ministry and give my account of what happened so that I don't get killed. I believe that there are three more bodies to be dealt with, gentlemen."

"It wasn't your fault!" Rocky sobbed, "It was another Death Eater!"

"Rookwood," Severus confirmed, and Rocky nodded. Severus looked to the other boy, who nodded confirmation to the older wizard. "Rocky, how much does your brother know?"

"All of it, sir," he sobbed, "He saw it, too! My brothers accidentally tapped into their magic to try to stop him… he was going to kill us after he… after he…"

"Killed your mom," Ernie supplied, causing the Hufflepuff to burst into tears alongside his brother. Severus shot him a glare that would have been one worthy of Voldemort.

However, back at the Ministry, the two children and the Professor were soon telling their tales under the effects of Veritaserum, and the Ministry had no choice but to uphold the will of Rocky's mother. Three Professors were pulled aside – Severus, Neville and Luna – and were told that Rocky's mother had wanted he and his siblings to remain together at all costs and to go with one of their Hogwarts Professors.

"Why don't we let Rocky decide?" Severus said wisely, knowing that if the child was smart, he'd listen to the dreams he'd have. the Ministry approved, and they were soon at a hearing the next day. Umbridge was actually the one to ask which professor Rocky wanted.

"Well," Rocky sniffled, "I want Professor Snape, but teachers don't have a good enough salary to take in two new mouths to feed…"

"Hear hear," Harry muttered approvingly before Severus shot him a glare.

"Well, then, what did you have in mind?" Umbridge sneered, not realizing the child had gotten a plan of action already.

"If it's alright, I'd like my brother and I to go with Professor Snape but for me to have access to the vault my mom had set up... Professor Snape was known for his noble actions in the war, and he was the one who fought the other Death Eater off to protect me…" Rocky trailed off.

"Are there any other reasons you would wish to remain with him?" Umbridge asked.

"And – and Professor Snape is a wonderful defense artist and Potion brewer! He could even teach us how to get control of our accidental magic, and I'm sure Professor Lovegood wouldn't mind if we went over and visited often enough," Rocky reasoned. "But I don't understand. Why would Professor Snape not make a good guardian?"

"He's a former Death Eater," she replied simply.

"But he was only a Death Eater to take down Voldemort and make sure that Headmaster Dumbledore was kept in the loop and to make sure that the good guys were always forewarned and forearmed. My mom – she used to say 'forewarned is forearmed' and that people aren't like leopards and can change their spots even though a leopard can't. He fought a fellow Death Eater to protect me even though I was a Muggle Born, and worse yet, a Hufflepuff!"

"Do not-!" she began harshly, but Kingsley butt in.

"Thank you, Dolores, that is _more_ than enough. Or have you forgotten that the boy watched a man murder his mother and three of his siblings yesterday? No, I believe that the best thing for him is to remain with someone that he is comfortable with, so long as they are good enough," Kingsley said, knowing he had to appease those who were objective to it. "But let's get the Professor's ideas. Professor Snape?"

"I may not have had the best upbringing," Severus said harshly, "But I learned from my mother what to do, and from my father what _not _to do. I will never, _ever _strike a child out of anger. I draw a fine line between scolding and abuse, and I have seen far too many of my Slytherins come from abusive homes to wish that upon anyone. No, I would prefer to stick with lecturing and removal or privileges in the case of a punishment being needed than to spank a child. However, I would do so if it was needed in a major case of importance. If they stay with me, I can help them get control of their magic, and they have free access to their friends all they want, so long as I know where they are going and how long they will be gone. There will, of course, be rules and regulations, but only enough to let them know the difference between right and wrong to keep them safe. I will _not _lead them on with blood purity nonsense or any kind of 'house brainwashing' as one Gryffindor student of mine so eloquently put it a few years ago. And I can assure you that no dark object will come within two yards of the children if they are at my house – and if I _do _see one and another adult is using it, laws be damned – I will destroy it if at all possible!"

"And if someone were to attempt to kill them?" she asked.

"I'd capture them alive if at all possible and ensure that it never happens again. if not at all possible, I'll kill them," Severus replied curtly. "I do not take protection lightly, I can assure you. I will protect any and every charge I receive into my house as I would my own offspring. In short, I am _more _than willing to kill a Chi blocker to protect them if that is what it takes."

"And you're sure it was a half blood who attacked them before?" Umbridge asked, and Severus nodded.

"Yes," he replied. "Sadly, he escaped. I will however, be casting powerful wards around my home to ensure that nobody, not even someone from Hogwarts or the Ministry of Magic, may come into my home without me knowing of it."

"Very well. Young Mister Underwood, do you wish to uphold to Mister Rocky Underwood's request?" Kingsley asked the young undiscovered wizard, who nodded and began saying yes in terrified tones. When asked why by Umbridge, he looked at her.

"He protected big brother and big brother trusts them," he said-matter-of-factly.

"And if your big brother is wrong?" she sneered.

"Big brother's never wrong!" he yelled before breaking down into crying by a Dementor, at which Snape cast a powerful patronus and scared it off. "Thank you, sir…"

"You're most welcome, little one," Severus said handing him a piece of chocolate. "Here, eat it. It will help. It's just chocolate." He began rubbing his back gently, letting the child sob onto his shoulder.

"Let the jury decide," Kingsley said calmly as he watched the fellow Order member. As much as the Potions master would never have admitted it, the ten years in solitude had softened him. It was either that or the fact that Severus had watched his father kill the only source of love, his mother, in his life.

Within five minutes the jury had returned and given the okay. The only concern that they'd had was Snape's reaction to parenthood, but as he'd proved with the dementor that he was more than capable of the task. As soon as the young ones had heard the verdict, they ran towards their respective parent, with Severus rubbing the backs of the two young boys.

Severus knew that he'd gotten a glimpse of a parent's love they'd thanked him and hugged him tightly and innocently around the neck. For once he didn't care in the slightest. He cared for these little ones, as loath as he was to admit it to any asking fellow war veteran.

* * *

Yes, they recruited a student. They were _that _desperate for a Hufflepuff member. Again, OOC Snape is because it's after the war and he can do what he wants.

Reviews by all are read, I promise!


	14. Diagon Alley

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

Severus had half a mind to kill the Death Eater responsible for these boys' sorrows, but he knew that he'd go to Azkaban and they'd be homeless if he had. The month passed by smoothly as smooth can be after the funeral was held for the four other family members in Rocky and Rudy's late family. They were terrified and alone, but Severus had made sure that they understood that he knew how they felt. When Rudy had thrown a tantrum, Severus had sat them down and explained his childhood to them, emphasizing that he'd watched his own father kill his mother the day before getting on the Hogwarts Express for the first time. He'd killed his father immediately after coming of age, literally minutes after midnight by casting a powerful _Sectumsempra _upon him while the drunk was walking home from a liquor store, but he never told them that.

The two had relaxed then, and had even begun to act almost normally until the week came that the potions master was due to go back to school the week before they were. He'd smirked, taken them there, and let them have free reign of the castle so long as they were back into their beds by curfew. Rudy, however, was sleeping on the couch in his adopted father's quarters since he hadn't been sorted yet. Sarah was in her quarters, and the dysfunctional family of five was eagerly waiting for September first so that they could all go back to school and get it in full swing. Sarah was almost over the shock and trauma that she'd almost been raped, although her voice did still give out sometimes. Finally, the school letters were sent out, and Rudy was astonished to find that his own letter had come in the mail, directed specifically: _Mr. Rudy Underwood. Lounging Sofa, Snape's Private Quarters. _He'd raced off to Severus, who was looking at Rocky's, and the potions master immediately smiled and hugged him.

"Well, I believe a shopping trip is in order," Severus said, looking at the fireplace. He got them to the Leaky Cauldron, and Tom, the bartender, was nowhere to be seen. Severus then realized that the old man had probably retired and gotten a new replacement.

"Professor Snape!" the new bartender said shocked, and he looked to find a very wary former Hufflepuff student. "Back to teaching Potions, then, sir?"

"Yes, I just have a couple of young wizards with me to take shopping and then I'll be off to an Apothecary," Severus nodded. "So, Red, what brought you here of all places? If I'm not mistaken, Professor Sprout was quite proud of your Herbology grade."

"Yes, sir, but the barman died suddenly," Red said sadly, "I remember him vaguely, but not enough to know what he was like. When they saw how I was acting and how well I was doing as a temporary replacement, they wanted me on full time."

"I see," Severus nodded as Rudy began wandering off. "Rudy, don't wander, I don't want to have to hunt you down and boil you in Potions."

"Yes, Professor," Rocky said immediately lurching back to his guardian's side. "Sir, how do we get to Diagon Alley?"

"Can I show him?" Rocky asked excitedly before Snape snapped out a quick "no".

"Good luck, Sir," Red said as the potions master led the two to the back room and began tapping three bricks with his wand. Rocky watched the familiar shifting of the bricks and Rudy was standing so shocked in awe he thought his jaw was unhinged permanently.

"Welcome, boys, to Diagon Alley," Snape said before leading them away. "Now, let me see the lists."

"Yes, sir," they said handing the lists to him.

"Gringotts, then we'll go first to get your textbooks," Snape said firmly as he led the way. The two boys had to trot to keep up, but were somehow able to. they remained where they were as he spoke with the goblins, procuring out their vault key as well as his own.

An hour later, they'd gotten their necessary books, Rudy's trunks, potions ingredients, which Snape had made sure they had more than enough of and began instructing them to carry a bezoar with them at all times, robes, and the necessary cauldrons and defensive items. Severus smirked, recalling their next destination to be a terrifying one to Muggle born students. He opened the door to Ollivander's Wand shop – which was somehow back in business – and Rocky re-entered with a smile plastered on his face and his brother confused.

"Sir," Rudy said uncertainly, "What about our familiars?"

"We'll get them in a moment," Snape said firmly, "Ollivander!"

"Ah, Severus," the old man said as he stepped out from the back room. "Back so soon? Surely your wand didn't break?"

"No, it's merely in its sheath," he assured, "No, my ward needs his first wand."

"Of course," the man said eyeing Rudy. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Um…sir?" Rudy asked confused, and Snape rolled his eyes as Rocky snickered.

"Your dominant arm, Rudy," Snape explained, and the child held up his left one.

The first wand was holly and unicorn hair, but it was a failure proven by exploding glass. The second one was willow and phoenix feather, and was again a dud – it had set the store covered in dust and bringing most of them into a coughing fit. Wands began piling up, and Rudy became so nervous he was close to tears.

"One more, Rudy," Snape urged patting him on the back. "I remember it took quite a few tries for a dear friend of mine to get her first wand correct…"

"Ah, yes, Mrs. Lily Evans Potter," Ollivander said gloomily, "Hm, I wonder…" he went back into the back, proturing a box, "Try _this _one." As soon as Rudy put it in his hands, he knew it was the right one. It felt connected, and Ollivander smiled knowingly. "How interesting that your wand is the brother to that of Mrs. Potter's and that her best childhood friend is your guardian…"

"Thank you, Ollivander," Snape said putting the money down on the table quickly. "We'll be taking our leave now. Come along, boys, there's still one more place we need to visit."

The next thing the boys knew, they were looking around a pet store that Severus had taken them to. Yet again, a familiar face was to be found for Severus, who recognized the shopkeeper as a rowdy Gryffindor who'd recently graduated. Thankfully, he was only an apprentice and the original owner was still around and trying to calm down the owls.

"Professor Snape," the boy gasped, while the owner looked up.

"Severus! Is Hades well?" she asked, and he nodded, looking at the two boys who were browsing. "Ah, escorting Muggle borns for the headmistress. Of course that _would _be your duty as a Professor. But, they're not twins…?"

"No, they were recently orphaned and by law I became their guardian," Snape said simply as he watched the two browse. "Rudy, don't stick your hand in there if you don't want it bitten. Well, I know for a fact he won't be going into Ravenclaw, thank Merlin. I'd prefer him not to go into Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, but I'm sure we'll work something out if he does go into one of them. Rocky is already a Hufflepuff in his third year."

"Sir, what's this breed?" Rocky asked pointing at a snake. Severus walked over and shivered.

"Python," he said quietly. "I despise them. Don't give me that look, you would as well if you'd almost been bitten to death by one when you were being obedient to your arrogant slavedriver!"

"Voldemort," Rocky realized, "His familiar was a snake. I'm sorry, sir, I forgot…"

"It's fine," he sighed pinching the bridge of his nose before looking around at the other animals. He'd have preferred something smarter, and smart he found – a half-cat half-kneazle was looking at him expectantly. "Boys, how objective are you to owning a cat?"

"A cat?" Rocky asked, thinking.

"I kind of want one," Rudy admitted, "but mom said we never had enough money."

"You do now," Snape said firmly, "Pick what you will, but remember that I will still have the veto over it. Pythons are _not _an option, and other venomous snakes are also prohibited. I will not get mauled near death again in such a manner."

Rudy looked up at a tiny black one, the very one that Snape had just been looking at. He looked between the tiny cat and his guardian hopefully. Snape nodded at the tiny black ball of fur, and the two flinched, casting wary glances.

"Sir," the student began, "that kitten's a menace. He hates everybody, and even if he _is _half-kneazle, he will openly attack anyone that will badmouth a professor. It's odd, but it's only when they're talking about one, and, to be honest – he starts purring at the mention of the so called 'reformed Marauders' and it's very confusing. He won't even eat the mice I give him."

"I'll take him," Snape sneered, eyeing the ball of fur. "Rocky, have you chosen, son?"

The behind the counter student's eyes ballooned at the last word from Snape's mouth.

"Not yet," Rocky said still looking. "It's weird. I can't seem to find one that fits with me… wait, did you just call me son?"

"You're my ward, aren't you?" Snape retorted immediately, "Thus, if you are, then that makes you legally my son in all but blood."

"Thanks, dad," Rudy murmured as he held the small black cat. "Hm… Shadow. I think I'll name you Shadow."

"I think I want a bat," Rocky admitted as he looked up. "It's crazy, but… can I?"

"May I," Severus corrected, "And yes, you may."

"Twenty galleons for both, sir," the student said, and Severus immediately laid the money down on the counter. "Proper food for the cat for an extra three sickles?" He laid the three sickles down and the boy produced a back of cat food that was designed for kneazles. "Thank you, sir. Have a good day."

"You, too," the two students called over their shoulders as they carried their familiars out in their respective carriers. "Wow, my own familiar…"

"I think I want to name my bat 'Sev' after you," Rocky admitted, and Snape glared. "What?"

"Lunatic," he muttered before spotting his fellow Marauders. "Perfect timing. Luna, Harry, meet me at my place later for a head-of-house meeting without Minerva. Leave the old badger out of this, if you will please."

They nodded, understanding what he was saying, and Sarah and Rocky smacked their foreheads and began pleading to go to the Weasley's joke shop to fulfill a promise. The Potions Master relented, but only after vanishing the trunks and potions ingredients with a wave of his wand. The two boys gawked before he explained that they were now waiting for the trio at home, and the two boys didn't dare want to put down their familiars just yet. He chuckled before leading them away to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Once there, Severus saw a sign.

"Wanted: Any Information on the Reformed Marauders that could lead to their identities

Cash and Merchandise rewarded for validity of information, and lifetime supply of joke products to the person who can introduce the Marauders themselves."

"I'm going to kill them in their sleep," he said darkly as the four of them stepped into an almost-empty shop. "It's quiet. _Too _quiet…" He had spoken too soon, though, as he heard the most annoying things return to full volume.

"Professor Snape-!"

"In _our _joke shop?"

"Now this is…"

"A strange sight!"

"To what do we owe this unusual entry, Professor?" they asked in unison as they approached from across the store after finishing their astonished rant. "I presume these are the legendary boys who survived a Death Eater attack and was taken in by another?"

"Yes," he said quickly, "Don't make them leave their familiars – they're acting as comfort objects, of sorts. I believe you were requesting information about the Marauders?"

"Oh," they gasped, "You know who they are?"

"Come by my house later," Severus said simply, "And be warned, I _do _have very, _very _powerful wards up, so don't try anything to do with a prank. You'll be happy with what you'll hear at my house, I can assure you."

"Oh," the two squealed in anticipation.

"We never thought …"

"We'd see the day that…"

"We'd want to visit your house, but we…"

"Are so greatly looking forward…"

"To it, Professor! We've been…"

"Simply _dying…_"

"To find out who they are! They are…"

"After all…"

"Aside from the original Marauders…"

"Our idols! And furthermore…"

"They brought our joke shop sales…"

"through the roof!"

"We owe them so much," the two gasped and sighed before Rocky and Rudy stared at them in confusion. "Sorry about that, kiddies. You are?"

"Rocky, and this is my little brother, Rudy," he said holding out his hand and shaking each of the twins' ones, "I guess you already know about why we're with the so-called 'Greasy git of the dungeons'. Not that he is one when we're not at school, he's a real kind of male authority figure we've been needing during our summers and in our lives!"

"Rocky," Severus warned lightly, more flattered by the Hufflepuff's words. But the twins watched on as the trio of black-haired wizards began scanning merchandise, even causing their formidable potions master to sneer or smirk every once in a while. They shuddered to think about what he was thinking of.

* * *

I think most everyone would be scared by trying to think of what Snape would think of. He may be a snarky jerk, but I think that deep down he just wants to be loved.


	15. Resorting

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

Bold in this chapter is the Sorting Hat, and Italics is thoughts.

* * *

That day after the shop hours ended, Fred and George apparated to the end of the street that Snape had indicated that he'd meet them at. He sneered before leading them to his home, and when they walked in to find Harry, Luna, Sarah and Rocky all laughing, they looked in confusion. Snape locked them in, and the two began wondering if this was such a good idea after all.

"You wished to tell the Marauders something, gentlemen?" Snape asked, and the two looked at him in confusion.

"Yes, we wanted to tell them how much we idolize them," they said in confusion and unison. "What's going on?"

"Gentlemen from the Weasley clan, I present to you the reformed Marauders," Snape said as he walked calmly to Sarah's side. "I am Mr. Slick. I'm sure you can figure everyone else out by their backgrounds and personalities. Well, except for Mr. Bam-bam, in which is Rocky."

"Your majesties," the twins said in a very Puumba-like fashion as they knelt on the ground. "We are unworthy of your most honored prankster presences! We owe you so very much! How can we ever repay you?"

"What are you talking about?" Rocky asked in confusion.

"Our little prank war last year," Harry grinned, "I should have known it would cause the Weasley twins to have booming business. How'd it go? Wonderful. You should have heard the song that was running through Mr. Slick's classroom all day when they had a potion that revealed the song that personified your personalities."

"Mr. Hunter would be wise to keep his mouth shut about that," Severus warned, "Unless he wants a bunch of Gryffindor students in detention for no reason."

"Miss Tipsy would like to recommend that we made Monseiurs Weasley honorary members of the reformed Marauders," Sarah suggested, and the two began weeping tears of gratitude.

"We are not worthy!" they began sobbing. "We are most unworthy, most noble and prankiness ones!"

"Maybe we should give them a calming draught," Rocky and Harry said scooting the chairs away from them.

"Oh!" Sarah grinned, "I gots an idea! Mr. Slick, would it be possible to control Peeves?"

"Oh my," Severus said his eyes alight, "Are you plotting what I think you're plotting?"

"Revenge," she squealed, "I wants it! I want it and I wants it now!"

"Yes, Veruca darling," Severus sneered before Sarah blushed crimson and gave him a look that said that she didn't know if she was supposed to be angry, amused, or complimented by that. "Well, Weasley brothers, I do believe that we wouldn't want your little brains to explode in the prescence of the all-powerful-prankster Marauders."

"What can we do to help?" they asked, "We'll do almost anything to help you cause mayhem this school year!"

"we'll let you know when that time comes," Harry smiled knowingly, "Until then, Fred and George, just rest knowing that we are plotting our biggest pranks yet."

"Can Mr. Slick use a Polyjuice potion on me and then we start snogging in the Great Hall on opening night?" Sarah asked maniacally. "It would most certainly cause some disturbance."

"No, that would reveal us as the Marauders," Harry frowned, "Sorry, Miss Tipsy, as amusing and disturbing as that is. Although I daresay we could do that in a staff meeting and scare the crap out of them."

"Or we could do it on the pretense of another prank war when it comes to staff and of-age witches and wizards only," Severus smirked.

"Oh, oh, I see another prank war in the makings," Fred and George whispered. "This will be so fun!"

"Or, we could have a costume ball on Halloween where he goes as a vampire and I go as Bella Swan from Twilight," Sarah grinned, and Harry and Luna snorted.

"Yeah, I'll do that when I want you covered in hickies," Harry retorted with twitching eyebrows. Snape hadn't paid attention to that one, and didn't even want to know. "Let's just wait until the night of the costume ball. If you and Miss Tipsy want to go on ahead and do something so chaotic that it'll get you fired, then go right on ahead, Mr. Slick."

"We could get Peeves to pretend he was in love with Filch," Sarah said softly before everyone burst out into laughter.

None of the Marauders had another meeting after that and decided to wait and see what the others would do once they got back to school. After all, they needed to train their successors and to find backup nicknames for when they were supposed to "leave school" and then to return to staff five or so years later. They still couldn't decide on how best to keep their clans out of trouble until the day of reckoning.

Severus decided it would be best for everyone if the kids all got on the Express at the same time, and naturally, there were kids that were all gossiping about whether or not Sarah would be sorted this year and if Rocky (otherwise known to them as the "orphan Hufflepuff Snape protected") would be there or not, as well as his little brother. Rumors were flying, and by the time that half past ten came around, the trio and their two familiars were looking around bored. They weren't allowed to do magic on the train, and Sarah was only sixteen by a few weeks – she still had another eleven months and couple weeks left before she was of age. To the boys' astonishment, the trace on her wand was gone and had been removed when the Ministry thought her dead. Thus, she was using magic every so often when other students weren't looking.

Out of nowhere, a small boy that looked like a carbon copy of their Defense Professor peered in cockily, looking in confusion. He asked if this was the car for the children of the Professors, and the trio nodded and let him in as he smiled widely. His cousins weren't listening to him, and were far too busy playing pranks on him to care. He'd been told by his father to sit with Sarah and Professor Snape's kids, but for why, he didn't know. During the opening feast, he was astonished to find that Sarah was standing there alongside them waiting to be sorted. Rocky went with the Hufflepuffs, and Rudy was standing beside Sarah with revenge plots against most Death Eaters in his head, especially Rookwood who had destroyed his family.

"Underwood, Rudy," Severus called out, and Rudy stepped forward to don the hat.

**Ah, an orphan. Such a tragedy when one enters our halls at such a tender age. And yet, you are cared for by a feared Professor… Hm… loyalty, just like your brother, so I could put you in Hufflepuff…. However, you also wield a very heavy ambition and revenge upon your shoulders, and so I could put you into Slytherin.**

_The sooner you sort me the sooner I can sit down. you can put me wherever, there's a Marauder in every house, I can assume since every house gets pranks pulled evenly. Just sit me down the sooner I can start my education, the sooner I can kill my mother's murderer._

**Oh dear. I'll have to warn the Headmistress about you. But… I feel that no matter where you go you will be misplaces. Gryffindors hate you for your guardian, Slytherins hate you for being Muggle born, Ravenclaw won't have that brain, and Hufflepuff doesn't really suit you anymore…**

_Then don't sort me and put me with Sarah._

**Very well. **"It's too dangerous. I can't sort him," the hat boomed, and Rocky's jaw seemed to drop a mile. Not once, but _twice _in a generation. The hall was silent before everyone began murmuring in confusion about the danger. Rudy got off the stool, feeling hurt that none of the houses cared enough, but Severus put a hand on his shoulder and led him out to the staff room with the headmistress following in suit.

"What's going on? what did the hat say to you?" she asked, and Rudy was silent before he explained the hat's reasons for not placing him. He used the excuse: "everyone hates me so they'll want to kill me" and the two professors looked at each other warily.

"Well, we might as well try to resort Sarah," Severus commented, "Ignoring that the Marauders will probably be killing us right now if they heard that."

"I don't see why not," she said, motioning for Sarah to join them. She did so, and put the hat back on.

**Back _again_? Good grief, what part of 'I can't sort this one' do they not understand?**

_Um, I think it would have something to do with 'I need to be in a house so that if I'm needed on staff I don't get confused stares from all the students who think I'm a Muggle' even though I'm _clearly _a half-blood. _

**You're Muggle born. **

_Yes, but I can technically weave a lie and tell them that I was raised by my father's Muggle half-brother and my aunt because my father died in the war. None of them would be for the wiser._

**A very cunning move. You've most definitely earned to be resorted into Slytherin. However, I cannot abide by this – as the Marauders would tear me to ribbons – and will not sort you.**"I cannot sort her," the hat repeated, and the two groaned. "However, I recommend letting her pick next year."

"But I want to start an apprentice-ship," Sarah whined before they could object. "I wanted to become a Potions Mistress!"

"Severus?" Minerva asked, and he nodded. "You accept her as your apprentice?"

"Yes, I do," he said simply, knowing that she had two years of school and three of her apprentice-ship left in her. She was in for a very, very long haul. Granted, he'd created a way to cheat on the exams so that they could read minds and communicate without the coins, but it was still illegal.

Severus sighed – this was going to be a _long _year.

* * *

So the Reformed Marauders reveal themselves to their most humble admirers, who will forever continue to grovel at the Marauders' feet when they are all gathered together.

So Sarah's Slytherin side finally came out, and she's finally getting to use it! Snape is accepting her as his apprentice for a number of reasons, but she's the first one to want to take him on as their master, for obvious reasons.


	16. Yin and Yang

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

The Marauders don't make an appearance in this chapter.

* * *

Within hours, the two were quickly signing papers that would allow her to become a Potions Mistress apprentice. Severus knew it would be almost impossible to get her parents here safely without someone getting killed by them in the process, and so he settled for having Harry sign it as her "head of house" in a manner of speaking. Luna, as her temporary guardian, signed the papers, and so Sarah was soon eagerly awaiting their Ancient Runes Professor to arrive and to seal the contract between the three of them.

Once the proper verbal exchanges were made, the trio focused on what they wanted out of the apprentice-ship, and Sarah's mind wandered to Severus immediately, and he to hers. There was an exceptionally large burst of magic in the room, one that rocked Sarah to her core. She collapsed after the burning sensation died down on her wrist, vaguely aware that her mentor had done the same.

When she awoke in the Hospital Wing, her fellow Marauders were grinning at her like a bunch of lunatics, and Severus had his seal hidden in his robes in a very similar manner that he hid his Dark Mark from the world. Rocky and Rudy were ecstatic and constantly betting over something that Sarah couldn't make out, while Hermione kept hitting Ron on the shoulder with a textbook as he grinned as though he'd done something wrong. Harry was smiling softly and shaking his head at it all while Luna kept a close eye on Severus.

"What'd I miss?" Sarah asked as Severus looked to his right to see her. "How long was I out? Oh, I feel so weak!"

"You weren't the only one in la-la land," Harry soothed, "Snape was out for three days. You were out for a week, literally, and well… it's really interesting. The bonding tattoos, I mean, as apprentice and mentor, but… I think it's kind of fitting."

Sarah looked at her wrist to find a strange rune. She noted that Severus also had an ancient rune, but he also had a Mandarin Chinese symbol for "he" on it. She smiled, grinning at the prospect of the other rune meaning "man". A giggle escaped her, and she sighed as she leaned back against the pillows.

"So, what do the runes mean?" she asked, "And weren't they supposed to represent something from the apprentice-ship?"

"Well," Harry said looking at his former teacher, who nodded slightly, "Severus' top one means 'love' and the second one is Mandarin Chinese for 'he', if I've done my research right. Yours is…" he cut off snickering.

"Wife," Severus finished softly, and Sarah paled, realizing what she'd done on accident. After a few minutes she realized that his runes and her runes both had to do with love – could it be that he loved her too? "Sarah, I… How – oh, confound it!"

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, "Does it hurt?"

"No," he said, giving a good impression that he was trying to tear out his hair. "But… this is… unacceptable."

"S-sir?" she asked, terrified of how she'd angered him so quickly.

"I – I can't do this in this manner," he said standing up and pacing angrily. "Shit. This is not how I planned this to go – but, Merlin's Bloody Blue balls, I don't really have that much of a lion-damned choice! I'm going to put this in a way that I hope you understand without doing something stupid. And – and – and I want to be more than just your mentor."

She gaped at him in shock as the others stared at him wide-eyed, unsure that he'd really just said that to her. This was illegal! She was a minor! But that little fact didn't bother Sarah in the least.

"Well, everything's in order," Poppy said at that moment, breaking the tension in the air for all but one startled witch. "You two are free to go to your rooms. Sarah, you now have a private room that is attached to Professor Snape's private quarters. Headmistress McGonagall has already announced your apprentice-ship to the school, as well as the fact that we are going to be using the time-honored tradition of apprentice-ships again! I can't _wait _to get one for the Hospital Wing!"

"Maybe Rudy can help," Sarah suggested lightly, which produced a glare from him. "Or not. Rocky?"

"I can't," he whispered, thinking of his mother. "I'd – I'd freeze up. Not after…"

"It's alright, we understand," Severus said calmly placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'd have felt the same way when I was still grieving for my mother. I wasn't too much younger than yourself…"

The next evening at the Great Hall had been riddled with confusion. Now that Sarah was free from house ties, the students were all vying on what she would do next and how many rules she would be breaking a night. Some of the more badly-behaved students were even betting how long it would take for the duo to start shagging, if at all, or even if the bat of the dungeons would use his title as her master to take advantage of her. Charlie strode in that morning, looking baffled and very red in the face after a discussion with the headmistress. After a quick talk to Hagrid, he strode angrily across the Great Hall and off of the grounds.

A few mornings later, Howlers began to fly in, most of them towards the Potions Master, who flicked them away to his private quarters with a lazy flick of his wrist. They could, however, still be heard throughout the dungeons and the castle, and every so often you could hear a swear word standing out against all the others. One in particular had gotten so bad with the swear words and vulgar language that Severus was turning a little pink at it. Sarah, however, was grinning from ear to ear as she began opening her letter and quickly spelling a quill and ink to write out replies. A few caused her to break out into laughter, at which she wrote those out by hand and specifically retorted with a "you don't see me questioning you about your sex life, so I would appreciate it if you kept your oversized nose out of my nonexistent one" and "I don't ask you about your sex life, and if you want to know about my nonexistent sex life, then you can beat the answer out of me in a duel in front of the entire Great Hall with Severus as my second – not that I'll need him!"

Severus shook his head at her cocky and witty retorts, knowing she'd be busy enough for a few more hours yet. He was tempted to have her make him a pot of coffee, but then he recalled that religious reasons had forbidden her from making it before. He smirked, gathering that this was where her saint-like privacy boundaries came from. He began charming quills and ink in the manner she had, each one beginning to drain more magic. He'd even needed to use a few choice swear words in his letters against former Death Eaters, but not that they would care about the truth – they'd still labeled him as a 'Mudblood Lover' when he was pining after Lily, and claimed that he'd never get over her. he snorted, knowing that he had once again proved them wrong, just as he seemed to do every time he turned around.

"So, what's the first thing on the menu?" Sarah asked excitedly, and Severus looked at her like she was crazy.

"You're staying with your normal classes, and using _all _of your free periods for _homework _and then your weekends will be spent brewing with me. I'll have you brewing potions for me for your apprentice-ship instead of your normal sixth-year potions. And if I find that you've strayed, I will forbid you from any extra-curricular activities," he said seriously, and she gaped at him in mock rage and pure disbelief as he smirked. "You asked."

"Damn!" she yelled, causing a few students to look up in confusion and the teachers to shoot her nasty looks. "That's not fair!"

"Too bad," he smirked, "Oh, here's your schedule."

"Hm," she said looking at it. "Not bad. Should I drop my three extracurricular ones? Hm… Ooh, double potions tomorrow!"

Severus had to use all his willpower not to do a facepalm. He looked around and noticed that Rudy wasn't to be seen anywhere and shrugged it off – the boy was probably still sulking about not being sorted into Slytherin. Suddenly, a loud and extremely dark fanfare began playing, and all eyes turned to the ceiling in confusion at the new choice of music for the Marauders.

_I may not be a Marauder, but more than one person can use this method. I warn the five Marauders now: Leave this school, or die one by one. Teacher or student, I _will _hunt you down and kill you if you don't repeal your activities. Denning, you're on my hit list, too – I'm sure you know the reason. After all, you're the girlfriend and apprentice of a bloody DEATH EATER! Yes, Hogwarts, your precious Potions Master is a rabid supporter of Voldemort, even calling him "The Dark Lord", which, as you all know, only a bloody DEATH EATER would use to call him! You have two days to clear out and get Snape in Azkaban, or you will force my hand upon the entirety of the school, Marauders. I _will _cause another battle if I have to._

Panic rose in the Great Hall immediately, and the Professors were doing their best to calm their students and try to figure this out.

"SILENCE!" Sarah screamed at the top of her lungs, amplifying it with her wand what little she needed to for the others, "Prefects, take a head count and report anyone missing. Heads of houses, start looking for anyone who supports what this person's saying! Rudy, get your ass up here, you unsorted brat!"

"Hufflepuff is all present, Miss Denning," the head boy reported.

"Slytherin is all here," the prefect reported.

"Ravenclaw is present," the head girl reported.

"Gryffindor is missing a Molly Weasley, Teddy Lupin, Victoire Weasley, and – and James Sirius Potter," the prefects reported. "Also, it was us Rudy was supposed to sit with today, and he's not here."

"Shit," Harry hissed out just before the four aforementioned Gryffindor students ran in laughing and then stopping cold and blanching in horror at the letters that were still etched into the Great Hall's ceiling.

"Rudy," Snape growled angrily and raced to the headmistress. "I'll need you to keep everyone here for a while. I'll go hunt down my son."

"Be careful," she said tearfully.

"When am I not, Minerva?" he shot back before racing off as fast as he could and looking around the dungeons. He was careful not to make a sound, and was startled a bit by Shadow's hissing in aggravation at his master's guardian. "What is it, shadow? Do you know where Rudy is?"

The cat simply looked at him before streaking away and Severus followed blindly after it. it _was _part Kneazle after all, and they had an affinity for their masters. He raced up to the seventh floor, reaching the room of requirement, whose doors were closed with only moments to spare. A bat flew out, Rocky's bat, and Severus took the chance to lunge inside.

Rudy lay in a very formidable pool of blood.

* * *

Dun dun duun! Rudy's hurt! Like I care. I need a buffer anyways to take my anger out on, and I don't want it to be a real Marauder just yet.

Review!


	17. Assassin's Solution

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

Severus immediately sent a Patronus to Poppy and Minerva. He was able to quickly diagnose the child's problem: blood loss, throat torn. He began trying to heal the tissue, but nothing worked. Poppy raced in as quickly as she could, looking at the child as Severus held the door open for her and their Headmistress.

"No," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Severus. These wounds are too dark… it – it was a Death Eater. Only they could have known your curse."

"Damn them all to hell!" the Potions Master yelled angrily as he stormed into the Great hall minutes later, his magic letting loose and destroying the windows all around them and showering the terrified students with glass.

The other staff members were appalled at this behavior, knowing that Rudy must have been hurt by another Death Eater for this to happen. It was one thing when he swore angrily in front of them in the staff hall, another in the Potions classroom, but something entirely different when he cursed (the non-magical way) in front of the entire school. What was worse, he'd had a bout of accidental magic, a feat that nobody had ever seen yet from him since before the second war he'd lived through. Needless to say, Sarah was soon rushing forward to her master's aide, only to be yelled at for being an 'insufferable lazy brat who was so lazy the hat couldn't place'. She'd run out crying and he'd followed her out as he realized what he'd just done.

Needless to say, Poppy was somehow able to stop the curse upon Rudy's body, but at a price: the boy's magical core would be depleted for another week yet. During said week, the Potions Master became nothing short of an emotional hurricane. Points were taken consistently from all houses, detentions handed out and to be done with Filch, potions were exploding and Snape yelling his head off at the culprit, and many other things were happening that were scaring the students so much that the other three heads of houses were actually considering a magical version of an intervention. They needn't have bothered, as Draco Malfoy walked into his classroom in the middle of the week, only to find that his godfather was a right mess. He knew his former head of house's antics, and the point deductions and other forms of punishment was a means of distraction from what was really bothering him.

"So, where's this legendary apprentice you seem to have acquired?" Draco asked at long last as the sixth years filed in after a joint class session of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had begun filing out.

"Underwood, stay behind," Snape snapped, and Rocky stiffened before nodding and getting back to cleaning. "Sixth years, you'll be brewing Felix Felixis. I'll give a vial of it to whoever can brew the best one. Get to work."

Rocky approached his Potions Master's desk as the sixth years began working, Sarah immediately getting out the necessary ingredients. Severus and Draco noted that she seemed to have the same instincts as the legendary Half-Blood Prince, who'd supposedly been the king at Potions while he was there in school, but nobody (aside from Snape and Harry) knew who he was or what had happened to him. Her insight was well beyond her years, and the Potions Master knew he'd picked the right person to be his apprentice. Snape cast a silencing charm, warning Draco to keep an eye out for sabotage and to make sure it never happened, and looked at Rocky with a mixture of disappointment and worry.

"This isn't like you," Snape said at last, "What's going on?"

"My dorms were vandalized," Rocky said softly, "I wasn't sure who did it, but there was a note saying that if I stayed with you, he'd kill me like – like he killed my father. I-I'm scared, Professor, I don't know where to turn, I see enemies around every corner, the Hufflepuff house isn't helping me any and are calling me a traitor, and – and the Slytherins are treating me like the dirt on their shoes! I-I don't understand… what did I do wrong? I just… I just…"

"It's alright," Severus said calmly placing his hands on his ward's shoulders. "He can't harm you. Wait here, and I'll bring you something to help you."

"Yes, sir," Rocky sniffled before the black-clad teacher left the room for a few minutes, returning with a vial in one hand and a small pendant in the other.

"This, Rocky," Snape said pulling the necklace tight, "Is a protection amulet. It will protect from spells and curses up to NEWT level, and will immediately cause the sister bracelet – which I am now wearing on my left arm – to burn should you be in danger so that I may apparate you to my side. As you can see, it bears the marks of years of disuse, as I haven't used this since before the second war. Rocky, I still stand by what I said in the summer – my door will always, _always _be open for you. Now, as for the rest of the Hufflepuff house – I shall let your head of house know what is going on so that she may put a stop to it. I'm sure Professor Bones would be very displeased to hear what her little badgers are up to. I assume you need a note for your next class?"

"Yes, sir," Rocky sniffled, before having a complete breakdown on his guardian's shoulders. Severus sighed, uncorking the vial and putting it to his charge's lips. The third year drank it greedily, but it seemed to have no effect as the young wizard just went deeper and deeper into the breakdown.

"I think the useless badger's lost it," Draco laughed before Snape glared at him. "What?"

"That's enough, Draco. Unbreakable Vow to your mother or not, I will hex you six ways to Sunday if you insult my ward again," Snape snapped angrily before sensing that Rocky seemed to completely lose his head. "Sarah, take Mr. Underwood to the hospital wing and make sure that Madame Pomfrey already knows that I gave him a calming draught. Why in Merlin's beard it's not working…"

"Yes, sir," Sarah said casting a statis charm on her potion and walking calmly over to Rocky. "Rocky, can you get up, please? Do you need me to help you? Professor Snape wants me to take you to Madame Pomfrey, we need to make sure you're okay and – and not cursed like-like…"

"It's not fair," Rocky sobbed, "Why am I the only one the entire bloody school hates? Why am I the only one that people are trying to kill?"

"Rocky, who is trying to kill you?" Snape asked darkly, seating himself in front of the young terrified Hufflepuff. "I need you to tell me everything you know."

"My drink was poisoned the other day," Rocky sobbed, "if I hadn't had that bezoar in my pocket like you're always telling us to, I'd be dead. A week before that, someone sent me a plague envelope with the word 'Traitor' in it with a yellow dust that went everywhere and made my skin burn. And – and people keep vandalizing my quarters, and not just that one night. It's been happening every night, and my roommates aren't doing anything to stop it! They hate me and glare at me like I did something really wrong and should have been expelled, but I'm trying to be nice and help them with their homework and-!"

"Rocky, breathe," Snape cut in as the boy began hyperventilating. "Damn it. Accio easy breathe potion. Alright, Rocky, smell this. That's it, deep breaths, in and out, Rocky, in and out."

"I'm scared," Rocky sobbed as soon as his breathing was almost back to normal. Severus sighed, knowing he'd just barely escaped a self-induced panic attack from the boy.

"I know, Rocky, I know," he said gently, "Stay here. Expecto Patronum!" Two large silver and white stallions burst out of the tip of his wand. "Go tell Professor Bones and the headmistress that they're needed in my classroom or dungeon the next time they get the chance. A student's life is in danger, and they need to know about it. GO!"

The two stallions charged off with ears flattened against the backs of their skulls before Severus put a hand on Rocky's head and put him to work on his charms homework. Before long, the headmistress arrived and Snape nodded and murmured to Sarah that she was to stay in the room and keep an eye out on things alongside Draco. He nodded to Draco before leading Rocky out of the room and to the hospital wing. As soon as Rocky explained all the attempts at his life, the two elderly witches were staring in horror at him and collaborating about what to do with him and where he was to sleep.

"He may be in Hufflepuff," Poppy said, "But he's got enough attempts at his life as though he were in Slytherin! He needs to remain in his own private quarters with Rudy. Possibly with Sarah as well, but I'm not sure how she would react. Have we discovered the identity of the threat inducer?"

"No, but the Marauders are keeping a low profile just in case, it appears," Minerva said. "I still would like nothing more than to know who they are. I've half a mind to think that Hunter is James Potter, but that just wouldn't make sense…"

"Bad news," Harry said jogging in with a fourth year in his arms. "Whoever is attacking our school is doing so in waves. He or she's attacking anyone and everyone he or she suspects of being a Marauder. I think we, as the teachers, should hide twelve students and say that we flushed out the Marauders. Snape can't exactly leave the castle, though…"

"Room of Requirement," Snape said calmly, "We can hide the twelve students, and me and Sarah, there. I don't doubt for a second that it will be a risky move, but we will know one thing if we do it my way: the attacker won't be for the wiser. If the attacker withdraws the threat at our going into hiding, then we know he or she is in the majority of the student body. If they attack me, we know who it is. The twelve students will have to include the Marauders themselves, if we can manage it if at all possible. The group could be anybody that's in their second year or higher."

"Severus makes a good point," Minerva said as Harry placed the fourth year on a bed for Poppy to examine. "Now, I believe that a staff meeting is in order…"

As soon as the other staff all got wind of the idea, they unanimously agreed without any qualms or worries. Each teacher chose someone that they thought was a Marauder, and Severus sighed as the list was handed to him. He looked at it, pleased to find that three of the five Marauders as well as Rudy were in hiding, himself included, as well as ten other students. Three from each house with an even number of males and females was by far the best idea that he'd come up with. The only problem now was to keep his identity as a Marauder a secret with the twelve students.

Severus was beginning to regret the idea, however, as the twelve students and his apprentice walked into the Room of Requirement alongside him.

* * *

Okay, so Snape really _is _trying his hardest to be a good parent, even though he's a right git sometimes. He needs some help, I know, but he'll get it later in the story, I promise.

Reviewers get virtual candy! *holds some out just out of your arm's reach* Review!


	18. Lives Ended

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

Two weeks had passed, and no word had come up to the group in hiding about the legendary person who deemed their Potions Master as a threat. Severus, however, was doing his best to keep all the students in line and up-to-date in all their various classes. To his surprise, it was extremely easy since they would all work on their basic classes together and separate for the extracurricular ones. Potions class was remarkably simple, and Sarah had already learned how to brew three sixth-year level Potions at a moment's notice. Severus began to work with her on her project for her final exam as an apprentice, which wouldn't come for another three years, and noticed that Sarah was having a hard time deciding which Potion to create and what effects she wanted it to have.

"I want to brew something similar to Wolfsbane," she said, "But I want it to turn the werewolf into an animagus form for them. Does that make sense?"

"It does," he whispered, "You _do _realize that you're talking to the inventor of the Wolfsbane?"

"Oh yeah," she murmured, a little flustered. "Sorry. I can pick a different one. Maybe a potion that reverses the effects of the Cruciatus curses on the mind? Could I patent that anti-venom of Nagini's? what about a reverse Amortentia?"

"Yes, no, and no," he said in reply, chuckling at her idea of cheating. "I can't let you patent it because I used it to survive and it has already been patented to me. You _can _however, alter it so that it will work on literally _any _venom of any kind."

Harry walked in, his breathing labored, and very flushed in the face. All fourteen were immediately alert at a moment's notice, and the Potions Master had his wand at Harry's throat within seconds.

"What were Dumbledore's last words?" he asked harshly.

"Severus, please," Harry replied, and Snape almost didn't lower his wand. "What was the last thing you said to Voldemort before his snake attacked you?"

"Let me go to him. Let me find the boy," Severus replied, and Harry nodded and lowered his wand. "We were tricked."

"Yes, but… we've got some clues at least. Whoever it was knew the real plan and knows the plan that you came up with. That leaves only two options: the person is on staff or is in this room, Severus. I don't know which," Harry breathed, and the spy's eyes narrowed. "You aren't really thinking of using Veritaserum, are you?"

"On the staff," Severus replied, "Sarah and myself included. I'll use Legilimency to flush the person out if they're in here. One by one, they won't know which one will be up next or when I'll get them."

"Good luck," Harry said before leaving.

The students stared at him shocked that they'd figured it out so quickly, and were soon glancing around at each other fearfully. Rudy, however, was calm, as was Severus. This hit a nerve in the Slytherin, and he immediately brandished his wand at his charge. The boy's eyes were going slowly from regular to glossy.

"Legilimens!" Snape cried, digging into Rudy's memories.

The child's memories of that night were horrifying and on the forefront of his mind, but there was something else there as well: the Dark Mark. Rudy had seen Severus' Dark Mark when the professor wasn't looking and had dropped his guard momentarily, and was out for blood. It was Rudy who was threatening everyone and the Marauders – he wasn't really after their lives, per se, but he wanted them incapacitated and at each other's throats so that Severus could get killed. What was worse, he'd been in contact with another Death Eater to help round up other escaped Death Eaters.

"Bastard!" Rudy yelled, using a _Sectumsempra _on his guardian. "You're a Death Eater! I'll kill you! I'll kill every last bloody one of you!"

"Petrifacus Totalus!" Sarah and Rocky yelled in unison as Severus began healing his wound with a few flicks of his wand at the tissue.

"I think it's clear who our assassin is," Severus said coldly. "Rudy, I would never have harmed you like Rookwood did. Rocky was telling the truth when he said that I was only a Death Eater so that I could spy for Dumbledore and Mr. Potter. I hate to do this to you now that I've come to view you as my own son, but you leave me no choice but to turn you in. you're a danger to yourself and everyone around you. I'm sorry, son."

"You're not my dad!" Rudy yelled angrily as the other older students began binding him to a chair that the room had conjured. "You never have been and you never will be! I wish you and Rocky were dead!"

"Shut up!" Rocky yelled as Severus sent his patronus down to the others.

Ten minutes later, Harry was back up alongside five aurors. Collin Creevey, Lee Jordan, Cormac MacLaggen, Ernie MacMillan, and Seamus Finnigan arrived on the scene. Rocky and Rudy were dueling with Snape doing his best to heal an injured second-year who'd been hit by a _Sectumsempra_ curse. There was a shout of rage, followed by Rocky being sent flying backwards.

"Rudy, no!" Severus yelled as Rudy summoned a knife and plunged it directly to his heart. "Rudy!"

"Severus, it's too late," Harry said racing forward. "He's dying, there's no way to save him. The kid did that himself."

"No!" Severus denied, casting the reverse of the Imperius curse. Rudy realized what his father was doing, and went along.

"Papa? No," he choked. "No, god no… I don't…wanna die…"

"Rudy," Severus said calmly as he conjured a vial, "I need you to put as many memories of your attacker as you can and the person who put you under the Imperius curse in this if you can."

The first year nodded, pulling out memory after memory of the Death Eater going into his private dorms and threatening him before raping him. Finally, in the end, the man had used the Imperius curse to get the boy to kill his own adopted father in an attempt to make it hit close to home for the former Death Eater spy. Finally, as his last breaths were being taken, he realized what he had to do to fix everything he'd screwed up.

"Sorry," he croaked, "Love…you…"

"Rudy," Rocky sobbed as he approached warily, "Rudy!"

Severus frowned as he corked the bottle filled with memories. Gently, he used his fingers to close his adopted son's eyelids so that he would be sleeping, and the aurors gaped in shock and horror. This was a man who had never shown emotion in front of them before, and yet here he was paying his respects to his now-deceased ward and staying. Even more shocking was that it was done after said ward had threatened him and attempted to kill him and everyone else in the Room of Requirement.

"We'll take the memories, if that's alright with you, Professor," Collin said quietly. Severus blankly handed the younger wizard the bottle, not even stopping to screen them first. The five aurors nodded before taking the bottle and making their leave. The students filed down to the Great Hall in shock as they left the Potions master, his apprentice and his ward to mourn the loss of their loved one.

Said Potions Master was still a wreck the next week and was drinking firewhiskey heavily as he went on the first Hogsmeade trip alongside the sixth and seventh years. He didn't care how drunk he got – he knew Aberforth would keep an eye on him and would ensure he got back to school grounds alive and in one piece.

Nevertheless, he was startled when he woke up half-naked in the Shrieking Shack the next day. He looked around, finding no clue as to who the witch was, and frowned before shaking his head and walking to the Hogs' Head after getting dressed. He walked in, and Aberforth raised an eyebrow. He immediately went over to the old barman and began muttering, only for the older wizard to smile sadly and tell him that he'd promised secrecy, but that it was someone who was well-known and still in Hogwarts. That left either Hermione or Sarah, Snape calculated, and immediately jumped to the second option. Granger, after all, had her husband for that kind of reckless activity.

"Oh shit, what have I done?" he murmured in horror.

OoOoOoOoO

"Have fun in the Shrieking Shack last night?" Harry whispered to Sarah as she sat down between him and Luna the morning after the trip. She gaped at him and he smiled. "I recognize a few signs that Ginny showed our first time. I recommend drinking this if you don't want too many side effects, if you catch my drift."

"Thanks," she whispered as she took the vial from his hand, uncorked it and downed its contents. "Bleh, I don't even want to know! But, thanks anyways."

"Who's the lucky wizard?" Luna murmured before putting her voice at normal levels, "Whose kid died?"

"Professor Snape," Sarah replied just as quietly before Harry sprayed his morning pumpkin juice everywhere in shock and began choking. "Really, I'm being honest here. I wouldn't go ask, though, he's still really mad about it. Truth be told, I don't blame him."

A few of the other Professors began casting wary and worried glances their way as Harry began choking and turning red at Sarah's words, Ron and Hermione especially. Needless to say, they all went back to their breakfasts once their headmistress flicked her wand and was able to get him breathing normally once more. Sarah, meanwhile, was plotting how to get her potion completed – all she had to do was use a little Felix Felixis while practicing to brew it and make sure she kept track of the changes she made to the potion as she did so. This apprentice-ship was going to be _far _too easy. After all, Severus wouldn't take advantage of her – would he? And was that really what contraception tasted like?

If it was, she wanted to wait until after the apprentice-ship was over to do that again.

* * *

So, yeah. Snape finally gets a treat for being good! Well, sort of… Even if they were both drunk at the time. I still say he deserves it after all those years of spywork and never getting to make his own decisions in his life.

Will give virtual candy for reviews!


	19. School's Out for the Summer!

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

After a long and grueling school year, Severus, Sarah, and Rocky were slowly making their way towards Spinner's End. Luna was off with her father and had left Sarah with Severus for the remainder of the summer. Severus would know better than to get stuck by those he knew so well, but he couldn't stop and ignore them, either. He'd holed himself alone for so long that they'd gotten worried enough to almost break into his home. Luckily, it hadn't come to that since he'd been going to the Muggle supermarket for food and groceries.

Rocky and Sarah followed him, all three dragging their things behind them as they walked down the street. Severus was dragging Rudy's former things, the half-kneazle still yowling in disapproval at what was now going on. Sarah had also been without a familiar, and so the feline had turned to her to be its mistress, which she thought was a little ironic. She was now wearing pure black like her mentor, and the Marauders were slowly getting things back into full swing at Hogwarts after the threat. She'd gone through with her idea for the Halloween feast, only in front of the staff room. Needless to say, they weren't at all pleased until the two "twins" had gone to their chambers to "shag". They'd done the same thing the next day with Sarah's body, and again the staff room had completely objected.

What had been funny, though, was the reactions that they'd all had when Severus asked if he'd seen his and Sarah's twins so that they could create a couple. That had gotten many looks of concern from almost all the staff, Hermione, Luna, and Harry being the three to first figure out that both incidents were the two of them under the effects of the Polyjuice Potion. Once Severus' smirk had revealed the joke, the others were breathing sighs of relief before throwing accusations at him and quite a bit of vulgar language – one even going so far as to threaten him with the press. He'd retorted that he'd never had a childhood and that his teenage years had been ruined, and so he'd promised Sarah that he'd help her with two Polyjuice Potion pranks, but that it was the only pranks that he'd pull.

The Marauders had then created a ruse to make it look like they weren't the Marauders. The "Marauders" applauded the duo the next day out loud, saying that as funny as their prank, it had been disgusting to hear about and picture, and so they withdrew their offer to let Sarah into the Marauders and said that Snape was a professor that was greasy, icky and a snot-rag for his horrible deed. They'd then threatened that if he touched her again he'd get his hands and fingers broken so badly that even Madame Pomfrey wouldn't be able to fix them and they'd make him a girl. He'd paled further at that, his eyebrows raising into his hairline and his left hand reflexively covering his manhood. He'd been wary of all the students all that week and for the rest of the month, making sure to keep Sarah at a physical distance unless they were in their quarters or unless she needed comfort in public.

"Severus!" a elderly voice called out to him, breaking him out of his reverie. "How're ye? How'd you get to be so young again?"

"Agnes," Severus said calmly, "It's good to see you again. I'm fine, even if my insane Chemistry students are trying to get me killed with their experiments. I'm afraid one of my more troubled students felt the need to force me to drink his before getting himself expelled. I don't recall the details, only that I woke up about a week and a half later in the medical ward of the school."

"Oi, that ain't good," the elderly man said appalled, "That ain't good at all. So, are these new wards of yours? Students?"

"Yes, they're students, but Rocky is also my ward since his mother was murdered last summer," Severus said calmly, "I'm afraid that's why I was so rarely home last summer. Sarah is my apprentice now and I'm training her so that she may take over my post in Chemistry. Our headmistress is feeling the effects of old age and is considering making me the headmaster."

"Is nice to meet you," the old man said kindly as he shook the two students' hands. "Congratulations on your apprentice-ship, Miss."

"Thank you, sir," Sarah said dipping her head. "I'm just honored that Professor Snape accepted my application – from what I've heard with rumors, he's denied all of them thus far."

"They were dunderheads," Snape said with a dismissive wave, "And aside from that, not a one of them has shown anywhere _near _as much talent as you have. You've got potential, and I intend to help you make the most of it, much like my mentor did for me."

"Good for you, Severus," Agnes said with his eyes lighting up. "I quite like the new appearance you have, and I hope that maybe this time around you'll look for a girl? Lily's boy is doing alright, isn't he?"

"Yes, Harry's fine," Severus said shifting, "He's got a family of his own and his oldest just started at the school that he and I teach at. He teaches Self-Defense, and I daresay he's the best at it since Petunia's deranged son was always beating on him."

"That's great! I'm glad for him," the old man said with a new light in his eyes. "It's good to hear the things that the young can do that we old cannot. It gives us reason to remain in our world. I'd best let you get home and put your things away, Severus. But, Severus, why do you have a trunk with 'R.J. Underwood' on it?"

"One of my students had commit suicide," he said sadly, "Since I was the leader of the group he was in, and our school is split into four of them, it has become my responsibility to go through his things. I thank you for the offer, Agnes, but as you guessed, I really do need to get home. It will be a great comfort to be back in my home again… this school year was particularly taxing… Perhaps Tomorrow, Agnes."

"Aye," he said with a nod, "bye, Severus."

"Good day," the Potions Master said before finally going back into his home. He unlocked the door the old fashioned way, and stepped back in. He sighed as he walked upstairs, wondering how he would house not one, but two teenagers this summer.

He settled for the idea that his bedroom would be shared with Rocky while Sarah got her own. He sighed just before falling asleep on his bed, his Muggle attire still on. The two teens were used to feeding themselves by now, and so they silently were able to make a dinner out of nonperishable foods that Severus had stored away. Unfortunately, that was the last of the food storage, and so they had been forced to make do with something a little more drastic for breakfast that involved calling for a house elf from Hogwarts. However, what Severus awoke to was the sound of his floo being activated and his headmistress' voice rising from downstairs at about noon. He groaned and realized that he'd slept in for the first time in his life.

"Sorry, Minerva," he gasped as he raced downstairs. "I fell asleep early yesterday."

"Yes, I see that," she smiled knowingly, "Now, as you know I can't keep this up for much longer. I've been headmistress far too long and my reflexes are extremely slow now, Severus. I'm afraid that I won't be able to last another school year. I'll need you to be my deputy headmaster and to take over at least half of my duties while Miss Denning finishes her NEWT courses."

"I-but-Minerva, you can't honestly think that I can do something of this kind of magnitude for so long and with so much on my plate! Sarah's barely able to keep up with her classes as it is, this will put her career in jeopardy!" he cried out indignantly. "I'm not ready for this!"

"Then perhaps Horace can be persuaded?" she suggested, "Tell him that you need a helper so that you may help cover the Charms classes since Fillius is retiring and that you're the Deputy Headmaster and head of Slytherin house as well. I'm sure if you introduce him to Miss Denning he won't be able to resist the pull of such a young apprentice with a year of her apprentice-ship under her belt when September comes. Surely she will be the youngest Potions Mistress in all of Britain, possibly the world. He won't be able to resist recruiting her into his little club."

"I'll see what I can do," Severus groaned before sitting down in his chair and beginning a letter to his former mentor. This would be a longer year than the previous one.

_Horace,_

_I understand that you are in retirement, and can more than understand that you wish to remain there. However, I am struggling with my duties as the Potions Master at Hogwarts. I fear that Fillius Flitwick is retiring this summer, and I am also to be made deputy headmaster alongside my duties as the Head of Slytherin house. I have also taken an apprentice under my wing, Miss Sarah Denning – who I'm sure you'll recall from the Daily Prophet's article – who has a year of experience and one more school year left before she completes her apprentice-ship. _

_I normally wouldn't have asked that you come out of retirement, but I am extremely stressed with my duties and have gotten hardly any sleep over these past few weeks with all the duties that have been heaped upon me. I have yet to fathom how Minerva handled it so well for so long. I do, however, have a ward who is going into his fourth year, and this is also taking its toll on me since he seems to have become a danger magnet of some sort._

_Horace, I know you don't want to come out of retirement, but I am asking that you do come out of retirement for just the one school year so that Minerva and I may get our school in order and to hopefully get things back to normal. She has also asked, however, that I help with the Charms classes to fill in for Fillius when Mr. Potter (yes, the same one we taught Potions to) is to help with all the other times he is available. I can only hope that when his second son joins him and his first son that there won't be chaos, but who am I kidding? That's the middle name of every Potter in existence is "trouble"._

_I know that it is not a definite yes, but I thank you for your time to listen to my exhausted squabbling._

_Severus Snape, Deputy Headmaster_

The Potions Master looked at the letter and sighed before sending it off with Hades, his jet-black owl that he knew Horace would recognize. He then went to grab his wallet, put on some new Muggle attire and was stopped short by one brunette, chocolate-eyed apprentice with an evil yet soft smile on her face. She took the wallet, then the shopping list, and glanced at it.

"Add what you want so long as I can afford it and it is edible," Severus said before dismissing her. he knew she was trying to make things easier for him, if only to help lower his stress levels. To be honest, it was oddly comforting to him.

As she was gone, however, and Severus was pulling out his last amount of food leftover from the Hogwarts feasts – he always did so since he came home to bare cupboards – Horace appeared in his fireplace.

"Severus, my boy," he greeted warmly, "It's so good to see you! A shame that Minerva's overworking you like this! She should have more wits about her, that senile woman!"

"In all honesty, Horace, I'm exhausted. I've only been deputy headmaster for a few days, and the duties combined with all my others are driving me near madness. I've even been forced to neglect Sarah's apprentice-ship, and I really don't like that," he said wearily. "I'm exhausted, Horace… Minerva said that I was in charge of finding a replacement for Fillius or myself since she was apparently called to the Wizengamot because of some insane things in school this year… I almost _died _trying to protect a group of students this year!"

"Merlin's beard, Severus," Horace cried out in shock, "What on earth happened?"

"One student was upset that the hat couldn't sort him, and became quite insane," Severus muttered wearily, "I regret to say that he became very much like Bellatrix Lestrange in the end. He'd threatened a group of students, he threatened the Marauders – which I happen to know just how to blackmail one of them quite well – he tried to duel me while sending curses left right and center, and that's not even the half of it. while in said duel, he sent a curse out that the Death Eaters were well known for that wasn't an Unforgivable. I was forced to let Sarah finish the duel and go heal the second year that was hit with the curse. As soon as Sarah stunned him, he broke it with wandless magic, and then proceeded to summon a knife and commit suicide in front of five aurors, two Professors, and twenty-three fellow students!"

"My dear boy, you most definitely need some help," Horace said shaking his head. "that boy was able to do that much damage in so little time? I fear what would have happened if he'd survived…"

"The problem was that it was caused by the fact that Rookwood – another Death Eater – had killed the boy's mother, tortured his two younger siblings to death and let them bleed out in a cupboard, and then proceeded to torture the only remaining sister who lived to death. Thank Merlin I was able to intervene before things got any more out of hand and the two remaining boys were killed. I just regret not taking them for a mental and emotional evaluation earlier. If I had, we'd have avoided this whole bloody mess with the younger of the two, but now… Rocky's the only one left to carry on his family name," Snape said sadly. "I should've taken them in for evaluation instead of thinking that they were alright… Potter had no problem with his attitude and he'd remembered Lily's murder down to the killing curse… I didn't realize that it would cause such extensive damage to their minds…"

"And the second boy?" Horace asked pale-faced. "Where's the second one?"

"he's upstairs," Severus sighed, "He's never been alone in his life and now that he's the only one left in his family – he hasn't said a word outside of academic answering ever since watching his brother commit suicide. It scared him half to death. It took me a week and a half to get him eating again, never mind the month I spent trying to get him to let his emotions out."

"Poor boy," Horace murmured, "And your apprentice? Did she see?"

"Yes, Sarah saw," he replied with a nod, "But it hardly even bothered her that I've noticed. She grew up on her own since she was five, and was basically a runaway until she went to live with Luna Lovegood last summer. She's staying with me this summer to work on he apprentice-ship. She's off doing shopping right now – I'd have done it myself, but she insisted."

"Could she be keeping busy to keep her mind off of the trauma?" Horace asked worriedly.

"It's very possible. She did throw herself into her studies this past school year. She has been working herself to the bone – day in and day out that's all she's been doing is working on her grades and trying to keep everything in top shape. Aside from her five original classes from her first year, she also continued in Muggle Studies, Muggle Self-Defense, and Care of Magical Creatures. I believe she took the former two since they were already imbedded in her brain," he snorted wearily. "Horace, please. You'd be able to say that you taught not one, but _two _of the youngest Potions Masters and Mistresses in the history of Britain, both recently out of Hogwarts."

"As enticing as that is," Horace said warily, "I'm not sure if I'm up for teaching Charms, my boy…"

"Horace, I need to stay in Potions to keep Sarah going in her field," he said shaking his head, "It's only for a year or two until I can find a suitable replacement. Please, I'll pay you myself if I have to."

"I-very well, Severus," Horace caved wearily, "I don't want you paying me anything, thought – you've got three mouths to feed on a teacher's salary, that's not easy. I'll teach Charms for you for this school year since it will help my two best students."

"Thank you so much," Severus sighed bringing his startled teacher into a hug. "You have no idea how much relief that brings to me…"

"I can guess by your physical contact," Horace said warily wondering if his student had really gone mad under all the stress. "Would you like for me to become co-head of house as well to help ease the tension?"

"Oh, yes, please," Severus sighed as he pulled away and Sarah walked back in. "Ah, perfect timing. Sarah, I'd like you to meet my Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn. Professor, this is my first and only apprentice, Miss Sarah Denning. Sarah, Horace will be teaching Charms next school year."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir," Sarah said kindly as she set most of the groceries – which was quite a bit of them – on the coffee table. She then accepted his very firm yet disconcerting handshake. "So, Flitwick is retiring then. Good, I daresay he needs the rest after all the chaos. Perhaps we can get a peaceful year in, eh, Severus?"

"Now, now, Sarah," Snape said warily, "Just because your first four years were chaos with ever-changing Potions masters, the fifth year was chaos because of the Reformed Marauders, and the sixth one was chaos because of a deranged first year doesn't mean that we don't get a peaceful year."

"Oh? My first year, someone let a pack of Dementors roam free, and they decided to make me their five-star snack of the day every time I went outside," Sarah objected, "Second year, Professor Potter started teaching D.A.D.A., and half the girls were constantly in cat-fights about who was the prettiest, some even beating me up for the fun of it since I was average. Third year, I went to said DA Professor for help with my dueling and Patronus, and get the tar beaten out of me again and somehow wind up saving the entire school from a deranged Divination Professor who thought I was a murderer! Fourth year, I ended up having to lure a dragon off of school grounds! Now tell me that's anything but peaceful."

"That's anything but peaceful," Severus smirked, and she did a double take at him. "Now, what's this about not being able to perform your Patronus? Surely you can at least get a small shield?"

"Nothing," Sarah sighed, pulling out her wand. "You don't believe me? Ask Professor Potter."

"Perhaps you just weren't thinking of a happy enough memory," Horace said kindly, "Why not try it out now?"

"Fine," Sarah sighed, "But don't blame me if nothing shows up."

* * *

Who thinks they know what Sarah's patronus will be? You can send me a review or a message, or a comment if you have an idea. If there's a particular patronus you want to see, I will try to create a character with that patronus for you if you request it of me.


	20. Chapter 20

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

SDSDSDSD(**Sarah PoV**)SDSDSDSDSD

I tried to focus. Happiest memory – my snakes, I'd have to say that it was when Severus told me that he loved me. I focused on the memory, drawing it to the forefront of my mind, recalling his deep, musky scent that mingled perfectly with Potions. The man made it extremely hard to focus, he did.

"Expecto Patronum," I whispered, not wanting to lose the memory.

SDSDSDSD(**Sev PoV**)SDSDSDSDSD

Oh Dear God. Why, of all things, did her form have to be _that_?

"Oh, well," Horace murmured, looking at the silvery animal with wings. Severus was eyeing it like he were about to die of embarrassment. "Why the long face, Severus? Your apprentice just performed a corporeal Patronus on her first time after heaven knows how long of trying to get it right!"

"It personifies me," I whispered in shock, just barely audible. "Her form… everyone calls me the greasy bat of the dungeons…"

"Ah," Horace said as we watched the Patronus fade away. "Hm? What's wrong?"

"Did – was that okay?" Sarah asked, fearfully looking one Professor to the other. "I got it right, but… what was the form? I kept my eyes closed to concentrate."

"Don't tell her," I said quickly while Horace simply told her.

Sarah remained upright for a few more moments before I had to deftly intervene. See, this was exactly why I said not to tell her. Let her figure it on her own, but now I have to deal with an unconscious aide as well as a probably-horrified Ministry of Magic. Although, speaking of which… I quickly began racing around the house, trying to find just where we were to put all of our things before we would have to move to Prince Manor the next summer. _If _we moved there next summer, that is. For some strange reason, I was in panic mode, and I hadn't the slightest idea why. I raced upstairs, knocking on Rocky's door. No reply. I knocked again, then a few more times.

Finally, a disheveled and much stressed Rocky yanked open the door. The poor boy probably had as much on his plate as I did at the moment. He stormed past me, and I realized that leaving him alone was _not _a good idea. Especially so soon after his brother's death, which had been so soon after that of his mother and his other siblings. I followed him downstairs, eyeing him warily as he began putting the groceries away to relieve his stress. I sighed as I began watching him worriedly, unsure of what to say at that moment. Horace obviously didn't either and kept his mouth shut for the wiser as he kept an eye out over Sarah, who was sleeping on the couch for now. I went over and hesitantly began talking with Horace in hushed tones.

"Do you think I should take him to St. Mungo's for a mental checkup?" I asked worriedly, and Horace nodded slightly. "When?"

"Soon," he whispered, "I think he's becoming catatonic."

"Hm? Ah," I said realizing it.

How could I have missed the symptoms that plagued my eleven-year old body throughout most of my first year at Hogwarts? I noticed that Rocky had never once had an outburst of accidental magic since the Room of Requirement. Rudy had snapped – how much longer until Rocky did? They both seemed to be doing so good before, but now… even with Rocky doing so much more than normal, chores included, it was just too… _different_. I found that I wanted the sweet and worried prankster that I'd taken in and adopted into the Marauders. I wondered vaguely if a prank war could help him like it had helped Sarah.

"That's it!" I murmured, and turned to Horace, "When Sarah lost her voice due to trauma, the prank war the Marauders had set up gave her use of her voice again. What if it were to work the same way for Rocky? Do it in Rudy's memory?"

"Severus, how dare you suggest that!" Horace cried out in shock, "You're a teacher for Merlin's sake! Have some decency! Wait, how bad did she lose her voice?"

"Complete mute for an entire six months, Horace," I replied curtly, "Poor dear didn't deserve it, especially after the way that her own peers and upperclassmen treated her like nothing more than a five-year-old would a shiny new toy that ended up broken before they were even able to begin playing with it. We could offer a cash reward again for the most funny – it was very funny last time. You should have seen some of the pranks they pulled on us. Actually, it was better you didn't, some of them were just too embarrassing…"

"Perhaps talking to him will help," Horace said kindly, "Well, I shall go visit Minerva in about five minutes. May I use your restroom?"

"Of course, it's the second door to your left," I directed, and the minute his back was out the upper hallway, I cast a patronus. "You will tell Minerva McGonagall, and only her my message. Tell her that I got Horace for the Charms post. I told him that you told me to find Fillius' replacement, so give him the post. I'm stressed, so if he wants to become co-head of house, then by all means, _let him_, Minerva. Go."

My stallion snorted in contempt and charged out of my house. I sighed wearily, knowing that something was going to go horribly wrong before the end of the day was out. I pulled Rocky aside into our shared bedroom, sitting him down across from me on the bed.

"Rocky, son, is there something you'd like to talk to me about?" I asked, unsure of how else to begin, and he glared at me. "Rocky, I can't help you through what you don't tell me."

"Rudy was right," he glared at my long sleeves. "You really are nothing but a filthy Death Eater. You let him die, damn it!"

"No, Rocky," I said firmly, "that's what he was whispering to me as he was giving me his memories. He didn't want to die, but the knife – the knife he'd used was cursed with very dark magic by Rookwood. It would automatically fly into his hands and force him to kill himself if he was found out. It was laced with poisons and curses so complex that it would have taken me hours to heal him, even if he survived. He… his last words were 'Sorry. Love you.' He was speaking to me directly but…"

"But you think maybe he was talking to both of us? Yeah, right," Rocky scoffed, "I hate you! I wish you'd have let me die with my mother!"

With a familiar crack, the boy's accidental magic apparated him away. I growled in frustration – this was madness! He was thirteen, almost fourteen, and we had no idea as to where he was, or even if he was still in one piece. I raced back downstairs, beginning to pack the necessities for a manhunt just as Sarah woke up from her nap. I quickly explained what happened, and she remained calm and collected.

"He's a Hufflepuff, he'll be back," she said calmly like it was nothing. "He can't stay away forever; he'll have to go back to Hogwarts, anyways. Plus you're the one paying for his things now. By the way, there's a war reunion at Hogwarts next week. Can we go?"

"I don't see why not," I sighed wearily. "It will at least give me a little time to recover."

"YAY!" she yelled happily and I was immediately regretting my decision.

Merlin help me!

* * *

Okay, so it's after the war, Snape's a free man. Anyways, I know he's not much of a parent, but that's why I'm giving him so much trouble with trying to raise a teenager (or two). Virtual candy for anyone who reviews, even if it's flames!


	21. Chapter 21

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

Bold is Sev singing in this chapter, and Italics is Sarah singing, while both is both. I don't own anything done by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

* * *

Severus sat up at the staff tables alongside all the other teachers who fought at the Battle of Hogwarts more than a decade prior. There was a table set up for the normal houses, with intermingling because of marriages, and they were all crammed full of the warriors who had fought valiantly, as well as a few of the children of theirs who were too young to be left alone. Bill, Fleur, and Charlie had all stayed home to keep an eye on all their nieces and nephews. Rocky, meanwhile, was glaring at his former guardian. He was angry, and rightly so, and he decided to gate-crash the party.

"Welcome back!" Minerva said loudly, "We are gathered here to remember all those who have fallen valiantly in the war and to be reunited as one body once again as an army! Let us take a moment of silence to honor the fallen and grievously injured in the two wars."

A few minutes of profound silence fell, and not even the children dared to break it. Rocky had been about to when a loud bang ensued, caused by none other than Peeves the Poltergeist. All heads swerved to find the cackling ghost only to find a young wizard alongside. Severus stood, looking solemnly at the boy, motioning to come forward. The boy glared, pulling out his wand, more than ready to attack the man he'd once called 'father'.

"Mr. Underwood, I would appreciate it if you _didn't _attack your guardian," Harry said firmly as he stared solemnly at the teen. "I can assure you, he will be most displeased and disappointed with you, more so than he already is for your… untimely outburst in grief and pain. I'm sure he'll be happy to sit with you later and talk it out."

"The hell he would! He'd a bloody Death Eater!" Rocky yelled angrily, and Severus marched to the back of the Great Hall, and made to grab Rocky's arm to lead him to his office. "Don't touch me! Cruccio!"

Severus was immediately seized in pain, but he'd learned long ago how to keep his Occlumency shields up and to not yell out in pain. Rocky paled, seeing what he'd done, and made to run away from his guardian, but Severus was faster. He was up quickly, breathing heavily, but able to race after his adopted son nonetheless. He grabbed onto Rocky's arms tightly, turning him to make eye contact, or at least to attempt to.

"It is not the fact of what house we are in or who we were once associated with," Severus said quietly as he looked into his son's ashamed face. "It is what we choose to do after our mistakes and the choice that we make in our possible attempts to further progress our mistakes or to make restitution as best we can. Son, do you really think that I would be free if I were a true Death Eater? The one who murdered your family is only free because he broke out of Azkaban. If you'll follow me back to the Great Hall, I'm sure Professor Potter would be more than willing to once again explain why they have a Death Eater sitting amongst their war leader ranks."

"Leave me alone," Rocky whined, "I just want to be alone!"

"No, Rocky," Severus snapped angrily, "That is what got Rudy killed in the first place was total isolation and ignorance. No, you need to know what we were up against at the time. You need to know what you're up against _now_ with Rookwood."

"They'll turn me into the Ministry," Rocky said quietly.

"Not if I tell them that you're still traumatized by watching your family get murdered and tortured to death and are still haunted by the Dark Mark," Severus said calmly, still angrier than ever. "Besides that, Rudy… well, I think it's best that we use a Penseive later on tonight. To show you memories of Rudy and myself and why we made restitution – or tried to – for what we'd done, that is what we need to do."

"Should I hold my bum like you spanked me?" Rocky asked, and Severus bent Rocky over his knee harshly before removing the boy's pants and planting ten firm smacks to the boy's posterior. "Ow…"

"There, there, all's forgiven," Severus murmured gently as he pulled his son's pants back up and pulled him into a hug. "I still love you. You're still my son."

"No I'm not," Rocky muttered, "That's part of why I was so angry the day I ran away. My _real _dad wrote to me – he's in America. He – he wants me back. What do I do?"

"Make a choice," Severus said calmly, "You can stay with me and finish at Hogwarts, or you can go to your father. I'm warning you, Rocky, once I lose guardianship over you I can't have it back until he's dead or incapacitated."

"I know," he murmured as they walked back into the Great Hall, rubbing his bottom where his guardian had planted the smacks. "My butt hurts…"

"Well, my entire body hurts," Severus shot back, "Next time you'll be smart enough not to use that bloody curse, young man! If I ever catch you using that again, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or not, I will give you more than just a dozen swats to your behind and the entire summer's worth of no privileges! On that note, give me your wand, now!"

"Yes, sir," Rocky murmured as he handed his guardian his wand, who immediately stuck it in one of the pockets of his robes. "I'm sorry, Uncle Severus…"

"You damn well better be," Severus growled quietly as he conjured two cushions for their chairs. "Sit your butt down, it won't kill you. Running after you didn't kill me after that curse."

"Severus," Minerva said interrupting him, "The Golden Trio has already explained their roles in the war to the next generation. Would you do so as well, please?"

"What is there to explain, Minerva? I was a spy inside the Death Eater camp. I played the perfect role as a Death Eater and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. None of the members of the Order suspected me to be working on their side as I was Headmaster for a year under instructions of _him _and even though I was protecting the students from the other Death Eaters as best I could. None of the Death Eaters, not even he-who-must-not-be-named himself knew that I was a spy, and the latter was the most skilled wizard at Legilimency – or mind reading – I have ever known. I was hard-pressed and had to become the best user of Occlumency – mind shielding – in order to evade detection from him and to keep my role as a spy going for Headmaster Dumbledore. Yes, I killed the headmaster, but on the orders of the headmaster himself. I was guiding Potter as best I could while protecting his peers and upholding my position as Headmaster. I was nearly killed during the Battle of Hogwarts as I was fulfilling my final duties as a spy. I was in the Shrieking Shack when the Golden Trio found me just after you-know-who's python familiar attacked me – or rather, mauled my neck. To be honest, I thought I was dying when I gave him my memories of my childhood and my spy years. I then woke up about a month after the war in St. Mungo's and was informed of my being on trial during my comatose state, where Mr. Potter, Headmistress McGonagall, Mrs. Hermione Granger, and – of course – the Portrait of Headmaster Dumbledore were all key witnesses in proving my role as a spy."

"You know, Severus," Harry said as the Potions Master sat down and took a long swig of water, "That has got to be the most I have ever heard you talk outside of our Potions lectures when we were in school."

"Shut up," he shot back before having a coughing fit and turning back to the water.

"Looks like someone overused their voice," Ron laughed, "Good thing! Now you won't be able to be a greasy git to the rest of us!"

"The only git I see here tonight is you, weasel-faced bastard," Rocky shot, "At least Uncle Severus knows the difference between a dark wizard and one who uses their emotions like a mask – even you weren't able to do that! You're nothing but a bad-mouthed bastard who puts other people down to make yourself feel better because you didn't get enough attention as a kid!"

"Why you little," Ron growled angrily, but Harry and Hermione held him down firmly. "You and me, duel, NOW, brat!"

"Fine," Rocky shot back, "Uncle Severus, would you be my second?" Severus nodded as he stood up to let the young boy know that they still had each others' backs.

"The hell is wrong with you, brat? One minute you're using Unforgivable curses on him and the next you're choosing him as your second," Ron spat venomously, "You're one demented monster! I say stick you in the psychiatric ward of Azkaban!"

"You'd be having a high level of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder if you saw your entire family murdered and tortured to death in front of your eyes at age twelve," Rocky shot back, "And then your only remaining brother being under the Imperius curse in an attempt to kill your guardian and to commit suicide if they failed and were found out!"

"I can't blame the kid for being mental, if that's the case," Harry shuddered, "Geez, Ron, I'm not acting as your second for this one, mate. I know how this kid feels, I've seen too many people get tortured and killed in my years. Why else do you think I had reflexes like Mad-Eye when I was in my sixth year?"

Severus nodded and Ron looked to his brother, Charlie, as a second. The redhead nodded, not knowing who Rocky's second was, and paled when he saw his former Potions Master. Ron sent a stinging hex at Rocky, who deflected it with a powerful _Protego _and then sent a jelly-leg jinx at his attacker. Ron, having deflected the jinx, sent five hexes and curses at the boy. The fifth one, Severus noticed, was a bone-breaking curse that hit his ward's right arm and sent the boy flying backwards, landing the boy right on his wand that had been sent flying likewise by an _Expelliarmus_. Unfortunately, Severus heard the wand breaking, and the boy's pained yells and swearing.

Severus sneered nastily, sending hex and jinx in such rapid succession at Ron that the redhead had no time to counter anything. He sent the younger wizard spiraling upwards by his ankles, revealing graying underwear, and even vanished all of Ron's clothes except for his boxer shorts and underwear. Ron flushed angrily with humiliation, and Severus sent a singing hex at him. Ron was soon singing in Opera, in very high notes that would normally only be accessible by a witch. He smirked, sending out the counter-curse for the dangling one only to send a stinging hex right at the redhead's privates. Ron's agonized female scream sounded like music to Severus' ears, who then sent the boy flying through the air, all the way across the Great Hall's vast length, through the main corridor, and landing the redhead on a suit of armor and knocking him unconscious. Within moments he had his wand trained on a shocked Charlie.

"I surrender," the Dragon Tamer said quickly, dropping his wand and raising his hands up to prove his point. "I, Charlie Weasley, surrender the duel to Professor Snape."

"What I thought," the Potions master sneered before turning back and racing to take care of his ward, who was now whimpering in pain as Madame Pomfrey began feeding him Skele-Grow.

Rocky, who had somehow come into contact with Gilderoy Lockhart, was now a mess of bones in his now liquid arm. Lockhart, who had gotten out of St. Mungo's after so long, was staring at the teen's now-broken wand. Severus took one look at it and sighed – more money wasted. He could very easily repair it, or he could just use Rudy's old wand. He then realized that the wand Rocky had used _was _Rudy's old wand. Gilderoy looked up at Harry and tried to cast another Obliviate at him, only to have Harry perform _Relashio_ and send the curse flying back at him, making him lose his memory yet again.

"Dunderhead doesn't even begin to describe it," Severus said calmly as he gently picked Rocky up and carried him to their private quarters. At this point, the entire hall was in a slight buzz at what had just happened.

"So, now that we're all done with explaining the war veterans and why they received Order of Merlins, I believe that we should let them have a little fun and show off some different skills," Minerva said with a mad twinkle in her eyes. "Perhaps a little karaoke?"

Harry and Ginny did a duet together of a song by a Wizard band Sarah didn't recognize, and Hermione did a song by the Weird Sisters. Percy was being a prat and refusing to take part in anything, while his brothers were eagerly joining the festivities. Molly, who'd killed Bellatrix, was doing a duet with Arthur while Fleur and Bill looked after Ron's unconscious body. As it turned out, Ron had several broken ribs, a broken arm and leg, a cracked skull, concussion, bent improperly spine, and teeth now missing. Finally, it was Severus, and any other "Slytherin's" turn. He sighed, turning on the song that he liked the most that wasn't Opera – he'd heard enough of that from Ron.

"Hey, Severus, what song are you doing? I don't recognize it," Harry said furrowing his brow.

"You wouldn't. it's from a play in a Muggle theatre in America," Severus sneered, "However, I will need my apprentice to assist me in this song, if she would." Sarah flushed scarlet as she hesitantly took his side on the stage. "Beauty Underneath," he whispered, and she gasped. "Minerva, if I may transfigure the Great Hall to make it look like the theatre did?"

"But of course!" she said with eyes alight, "I'd love to see it! Can you do the costumes as well?"

"Well, technically the person that Sarah will be doing is a boy in the movie, but I think we can change that up a bit," Severus smirked, "Make the character into a girl since it's a child. I see no problem with anything. I'll need to transfigure our clothes, though…"

"Take as long as you need," she said gently as she sat back to watch. Severus immediately began casting charm after charm, creating the stage of the hidden scene in _Love Never Dies_. Sarah was transfiguring their clothes – or trying to – and occasionally creating a piece of the layout. Severus laughed at her attempt for the Phantom's clothes and mask. He cast one final glamour charm on his face and put the mask on just before flicking his wand and starting the music.

**Have you ever yearned to go past the world you think you know? **

**Been enthralled to the call of the beauty underneath?**

**Have you let it draw you in, past the place where dreams begin?**

**Felt the full breathless pull of the beauty underneath?**

**When the dark unfolds its wings do you sense the strangest things? **

**Things no one would ever guess?**

**Things mere words cannot express? **_Yes!_

**Do you find yourself beguiled by the dangerous and wild?**

**Do you feed on the need for the beauty underneath?**

**Have you felt your senses surge and surrendered to the urge and been hooked as you looked at the beauty underneath?**

**When you stare behind the night, can you glimpse its primal might?**

**Might you hunger to possess, hunger that you can't repress? **_Yes!_

_It seems so beautiful! So strange yet beautiful!_

_Everything's just as you say!_

**And he's so beautiful, perhaps too beautiful…**

**What I suspect cannot be…**

**And yet somehow we both see**

**The very same way!**

_Is there music in your head? Have you followed where it lead?_

_And been graced with a taste of the beauty underneath!_

_Does it fill your every sense? Is it terribly intense?_

_Tell me you need it too!_

_Need the beauty underneath!_

_**When it lifts its voice and sings**_

_**Don't you feel amazing things?**_

_**Things you know you can't confess,**_

_**Things you thirst for nonetheless.**_

_It seems so beautiful! (_**Can it be?**_)_

_Almost too beautiful!_

_**Do you see what I see?**_

**To him it's beautiful,**

**My world is beautiful.**

_How can this be what it seems?_

_**All of my most secret dreams**_

_**Somehow set free~!**_

**You can feel it. **_Yes._

**Come closer. **_Yes._

**You've no fear of the beauty underneath. **_A-h!_

**You can face it? **_Yes._

**You can take it? **_Yes._

**You see through to the beauty underneath. **

**To the splendor! **_Splendor!_

**And the glory! **_Glory!_

**To the truth of the beauty underneath! **_(the Beauty underneath!)_

**You accept it? **_Yes!_

**You embrace it? **_Yes!_

**Let me show you the beauty underneath.**

**To the splendor! **_Splendor!_

**And the glory! **_Glory!_

**To the truth of the beauty underneath! **_(The Beauty underneath!)_

**You'll accept it? **_Yes!_

**You'll embrace it? **_Yes!_

**Let me show you the beauty under-**

_*bloodcurdling scream as Severus takes off the mask*_

Severus, who turned around, bowed low just before removing the glamour charm he'd cast upon himself, turning to Sarah, who was staring at him with wide eyes, but burning bright in happiness at having been able to hear him sing once more alongside her own voice. The entire audience was staring at the two in shock, not moving a muscle except to breathe, blink, and occasionally close their jaws. She smiled triumphantly, knowing that they'd have won the gold if it was a competition.

* * *

I don't own the song. It's called _The Beauty Underneath. Love Never Dies _is a play by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and is a sequel to _The Phantom of the Opera._

I know Snape wouldn't normally sing, but I made everyone sing to make it fair. Even Malfoy sang, but I never tell who else sang what. I'll leave that to your imagination!

Review? Please?


	22. Chapter 22

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

bold is the sorting hat, and italics is thoughts

* * *

As soon as Sarah walked into the Great Hall that September, she knew something was immediately wrong: Rocky was glaring at Severus' empty seat, Severus was missing (no doubt due to Deputy Headmaster duties), not one, but _three _new teachers were seated, and quite a few of the Slytherins were nowhere in sight. Severus stormed in minutes later, followed by the group of gangly and wary first years, one of whom Sarah noticed was a Malfoy. There were also a couple more Weasley clan members, another Potter miniature, a few more Creevey kids, a Bones child, and, of course, a terrified student that was looking like he was about to puke. She sighed – there was always one.

"Bones, Amelia," Severus called out, and the child hesitantly donned the cap before getting sorted into Hufflepuff.

Creevey duo were sorted into Gryffindor, the Potter miniature was in Slytherin (which Sarah noticed the DA professor clapping proudly as if it had been Gryffindor), Malfoy was a Slytherin, the Weasley girl was a Gryffindor while her cousin was a snake, and she simply ignored all the rest of the sorting. She also ignored the beginning of the year speech the headmistress always gave.

"Now, as you can see, we have three changes in staff this year," she announced proudly, "Professor Flitwick has retired, and so Professor Horace Slughorn has taken his place for this year. Professor Binns has, finally, moved on and History of Magic will now be taught by Professor Collin Creevey, an auror who I have requested to join us due to recent events over the past school year. I assure the first years that it will not happen again, and if you want information, ask the older students who aren't in apprentice-ships. Lastly, Professor Shang Gong Wu has taken maternity leave for the school year, and so Professor Silvana Snape will be teaching Muggle Defense Class."

There was quite the uproar from the students as they heard the last name 'Snape', and Sarah looked at Severus curiously. He rolled his eyes before tapping on her toes lightly to let her know what he had up his sleeve. The headmistress then continued on (even though her words were drowned out) to tell the students that the two Snape siblings would be the co-heads of Slytherin. Sarah's eyes lit with betrayal, and Severus leaned over and whispered the other Snape's lineage into Sarah's ear. Her eyes narrowed at her mentor's, and he silently reassured her it was true and that if she wanted the answer, all she had to do was ask Silvana. The Great Hall remained in an uproar until the feast began, at which point Sarah began picking at her food, tears filling her eyes.

"Sarah, I promise you, Silvana was not my wife. She is my sister," Severus said coldly, and she was tempted to hex him six ways to Sunday. "If you like, you can question me under Veritaserum, but I see no reason for me to. I would never have lied to you yet unless it was absolutely necessary to protect you, not that it was needed."

Sarah wasn't assuaged, and the headmistress nodded for the seventh year to be sorted once the meal was over. Sarah felt the familiar feel of the hat on her head and the familiar intrusion into her mind. She, however, was too far broken to care. She'd been missing from the Snape household for a week, and nobody had cared enough to look for her. She'd been tortured by her own parents for faking her death, and had attacked them brutally, clawing at their faces before finally using accidental magic to apparate herself away and to a safe haven known as Godric's Hollow. Harry had been the one to find her and nurse her back to health, never once asking any questions, for which she was eternally grateful and owed him a life debt.

She began plotting revenge on anyone and every person who'd wronged her, starting first and foremost with her parents and their families. Her aunts and uncles had done nothing to stop the abuse at home, her cousins hated her for reasons unknown, and she didn't even know how many she had anymore. She knew all the best escape routes, she knew all the best torture methods that could easily have involved accidental magic, and she most definitely knew that a temper tantrum was desperately needed right now. She willed her face to become an expressionless mask, her eyes being the only revealers of the hate, anger, sorrows, and pains that she'd kept hidden inside of her for so very long. Not even Severus knew of everything, and she highly doubted that he would have even cared for her. He did, after all, share a last name with another member of the staff, meaning that they were probably married and she was just a replacement for the witch.

**You're not you know,** the hat said quietly, **You feel worthless, but I often see pains very much like yours. Every house in Hogwarts has at least one student who is abused sorted into their first year ranks. They just use their cunning more than anything else and so they go into Slytherin.**

_Don't you _dare _put me there! Snape hates me and wants me dead!_

**Child, if he wanted you dead, he'd have poisoned you by now. Besides, your past reminds me of his, only he was the older sibling instead of the youngest.**

_Snape has a … sibling?_

**Indeed, he does. A sister, he was boasting about her when he donned me in his first year, hoping that the two would remain together during their school years. I was only able to sort her when she came here to become a part of the staff. She is now co-head of Slytherin alongside her brother. **

_Fine. Just stick me somewhere that I can throw a temper tantrum, torture my parents to death, and get away with it._

"I can't sort her. Let her decide," the hat yelled out, and the entire hall sat in shock. Seven years running and not being sorted.

_I told you to sort me!_

**And I did. You're in Slytherin. I choose Slytherin, but it would be most alarming for your teachers if I were to yell that fact out. **

_Ah, so they'd realized something was wrong if I _was _sorted! Nice thinking. Thanks._

"Your choice, Miss Denning?" Severus asked, his brow raised in confusion.

"Slytherin," she said calmly, "They've got the head of house I'm most comfortable with, and who is my mentor anyways."

The Great Hall shuddered at the feel of the air that had suddenly turned cold and was filled with so much bloodlust that the students and most of the professors could hardly move with fear. Severus was also confused, but Harry immediately recognized it as Sarah's. He'd felt it in his home when she was angry at her parents, and she was no doubt plotting something against someone else to torture them or make them pay for what she'd done. He would, however, leave her alone and let her do as she pleased so long as it wasn't illegal.

* * *

So Harry's not as protective as he looks, and only protected Sarah because her mentor saved his life a bunch of times. Nonetheless, Sarah will be getting revenge here in a while. Don't worry, nobody dies that's a relative of hers, Harry's, or Snape's. Well, that I know of yet.


	23. Chapter 23

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

Sarah smirked in her private quarters that she had as the head girl. Peeves the poltergeist was floating in front of her with a confused smile on his face as he saw the deranged one on hers.

"Peeves, how objective are you to taking requests?" Sarah asked quietly, and his eyes widened. "Rumors are going that you can transform into any form you please. Is this true?"

"Why, yes!" he whispered, "Peeves has never, not in all his years, been requested for something to involve pranks! Is there someone in mind? but what's in it for Peeves?"

"Yes, a couple who deems me unworthy of breathing the same oxygen as them," Sarah said darkly, her eyes lighting up, "Their names are Jennifer and Robert Denning, and I want you to report to me every last thing you've done in full detail so that I may take note of it for later uses in pranks on the school, on smaller or bigger scales depending on the hilarity of the pranks. Your fellow pranksters the Marauders will be most pleased, I can assure you, and I'm sure they'll perform a few of your ideas that you may suggest to them at a later time. Any idea you bring to me will be relayed to them – I do, after all, still have written contact with them. Can you do this?"

"Oh, yes!" he said happily, "Are there anyone else you need?"

"Yes, you recall the aforementioned couple? I'd like for you to visit their son, Samuel. And, finally, the last person on my hit list is a Death Eater by the name of Rookwood. Thank you _so _very much, Peeves. You have no idea how much this will help me in creating pranks for the future and the future of the reformed Marauders, _if _I can get into their ranks," she said, her eyes filling with tears of sorrow, hatred, and joy all at once.

"I am most happy to be of assistance," he said evilly before disappearing with a pop.

Sarah smiled before shuddering at the memory that her parents had forever slashed into her already unstable mind, pushing her over the final brink that led to insanity. Her anchor was gone now, and the only new anchor she had was the torture that was to be inflicted upon her parents. It would be what she lived for until she would weasel the truth out of Severus Tobias Snape.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"I don't get it, Sev," Silvana said at last, "You want me to keep an eye out on Miss Denning, _why_?"

"She went missing for a week, and nobody was able to find her," he said shaking his head, "She comes from an abusive household – one worse than ours even. Don't give me that look, her parents kicked her out at age five, hunted her down and abused her like a caged animal every summer, and pushed her into an asylum the one before this one. I'm starting to think that all the abuse has finally gotten through to her head…"

"So you're worried that she's turning into a sociopath? I don't blame you, the kid was glaring at me like she wanted me dead," Silvana shuddered. "what on earth did I even do?"

"She thinks that you and I are husband and wife," Severus frowned, "I tried telling her otherwise, but she wouldn't listen. Perhaps showing her memories of ours in a penseive will help. I hate to disclose our past, but I don't think we'll get away unscathed if we do. She's unstable right now, even I can tell that. the way that she willed her face into an emotionless mask – I've never seen anything so cold and hate-filled."

"I'm wondering if that cold, hate-filled aura in the Great Hall was her magic," Silvana said quietly, "If what you say is true about her parents… oh god… she could be plotting something right now! She may have told the hat not to sort her so that she wouldn't arouse suspicion, and then chosen Slytherin for the same reason! That way the heads of houses don't freak out when she starts acting like a Slytherin or a lunatic!"

"Oh, Merlin's Bloody… baron. Where's the Bloody Baron?" the elder Snape asked as he darted out of his office, casting a patronus to Minerva so she could be ready for their head of house meeting that evening to discuss the status of any possible abused students, and the definite ones that the Slytherin house always managed to end up with.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The Muggle couple screamed in terror at the sight before them. Their daughter's corpse, staring, blank-eyed, blood-covered, ill-fitting clothes garbed, continued to pester them. The only difference was that it continued to change ages with a loud pop.

"Why were you so mean, mommy?" the five-year-old asked, blood seeping from all through her clothes.

"Why did you leave me, daddy?" the six-year-old asked, blood and dirt covered clothes with holes.

"Why do I have to hunt for my meals? Am I not good enough to eat with you?" the seven-year-old asked, her left forearm in a cast.

"What did I do wrong?" the eight-year-old asked, tears running down her face, her frame extremely thin, garbed in throw-away clothes with tears in them that she'd fished out of garbage cans. This one smelled of feces. "Why don't you love me?"

"Why do you think I'm a freak?" the nine-year old version asked, her hair cut short. "Why do I have to fight to live through a day?"

"Why can't I be a normal girl?" the ten-year-old asked, "Why can't you be normal and love me?"

"Why couldn't you support me and be happy that I get to go to a private school?" the eleven-year old asked, now garbed in Hogwarts robes that were still too big for her.

"Why can't you see that I'm happy at school and send me a letter to at least wish me a merry Christmas?" the twelve-year old asked.

"I'm thirteen, can't you at least tell me what classes to take to make you proud of me?" she asked coldly.

"No Hogsmeade trips, but if you sign the slips I can meet you in Hogsmeade! Please, mom, I just want to talk to you! My head of house will be upset and he says that if I go to see you I have to be supervised," she pled at fourteen, the robes once again the size for a year ahead of her age.

"No visits, no presents, no nothing! I'm starting to believe that there's nothing I can do to make you proud, mama! I've been getting all perfect marks on my homework and good grades on my tests! I just wanted you to be proud of me, and this is what I get? I'm starting to wonder if you even loved me or was even the one to give birth to me," she spat with tears running down her face.

"I'm not your daughter anymore," she said coldly at sixteen, "I was adopted by the Head of Ravenclaw house. Unlike you, she treats me with all the care and respect that I have wanted. I'm a Potions apprentice now, and now that I can finally take some more steps to being an adult, I've realized that you two were the perfect examples of what I _don't _want to do as a parent and spouse! I hope you two know that all the teachers in Hogwarts hate you!"

"I would have done this years ago if I were allowed to do magic before now," the seventeen year old version said with a hate-filled mask as she brandished her wand at them. "I'm of age now, and can do whatever I want. The torturing curse may be illegal, and I know by experience that it makes the victim wish they were dead, but I see no other punishment aside from Azkaban that would be fitting. And better yet, I can cast as many non-verbal spells as I want."

"No! Please, no!" the Muggle couple yelled loudly in panic as they began writhing in phantom pains after "Sarah" flicked her wrist. "Please! We're sorry! We'll do anything, just don't kill us! Please, just make it stop!"

"Send me two thousand American dollars in the mail to Hogwarts," she said coldly, "I want it through owl post, and I also want a few more luxuries from you two that I was never allowed to have while I lived with you! Food does _not _count, and I'm sure you'll think of something good enough. If I find it below par, I will come here and use this illegal spell for hours and hours on end!"

"No! Please!" the two Muggles began pleading before Peeves apparated back with a loud _pop _to report his deed to Sarah. She grinned in evil pleasure as he reported everything in detail, with her eyes alight with joy at Peeves' actions as her enchanted quill took note of his every word.

"Peeves, if you were solid and had a form, I'd be kissing your cheek right now," she said with joyful tears coming from her eyes, "I can honestly say that that is by far the most ingenious thing I have ever heard a prankster do. You have my most sincere thanks and kudos."

"Glad to be of service," he smiled evilly, "Is there another task?"

"Yes," she said offhandedly, "My oldest brother, Samuel, also a Muggle and one who constantly pestered me for no reason. Could you give him a different punishment, please?"

Peeves simply grinned maniacally as he disappeared with another _pop_.

Severus, meanwhile, and the rest of the staff were panicking about trying to stop Sarah's possible plan, not knowing that it was already in motion. Peeves spent the whole rest of the night tormenting Sarah's oldest brother and the escaped Death Eater, Rookwood. Severus also remained awake all night, sure that something was wrong and he wasn't privy to it. He frowned at two in the morning, hoping that Sarah wasn't turning herself into a mass-murderer, or worse, school poltergeist, to vent her frustration. Merlin knew that the school already had Peeves for that job, and he was trouble enough.

* * *

So Sarah has, indeed, turned into a sociopath of sorts. It's only when she wants revenge on someone that she's mad at. You'll see what I mean in later chapters.

Review? Please?


	24. Chapter 24

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

italics is writing or thoughts. and the Marauders will make another appearance, so you'll be seeing _this_again.

* * *

A week later, a large owl flew in and carried a large parcel directly to Sarah during the morning mail call, which all the staff members took note of with alarm. To their shock, it was nothing more than Muggle Money and a very flamboyant muggle dress. She smiled, petting the owl and attaching a letter to it, grinning widely. Severus quickly raced up to the owlrey to intercept said owl. What he saw in the letter shocked him, and he immediately created a perfect replica on a spare piece of parchment.

_Mother,_

_I am shocked that you would send me not only money, but a very beautiful dress as well. I never expected you to be a woman of your word when you said that you would do anything to appease me. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with what I have received, and I withdraw my final accusation. However, the previous ones will all still stand for a few years coming. After all, you eleven more years of Christmas and birthday gifts to make up for, as well as the twelfth one that I went through this past August. I will consider using the dress for my future wedding, if I get one, and will endeavor to use the money you have sent me to pay for the Magical Therapy that I must now go to in efforts to relieve my stress. Thank you for the parcel – it was nice to see an owl sent to me that wasn't from one of my Professors. It's a very nice change of pace._

_Sarah D._

Severus stared at it and created enough copies of it to send it to the other four heads of houses alongside the headmistress. They all gawked at the letter, wondering what on earth had gotten into the Denning females, and immediately began looking for their missing student. Silvana Snape wasn't at all discouraged, and smirked at having the seventh-year class first hour. Without warning, the Star Wars fanfare began playing.

_Hello one, and hello all! We are most honored and delighted to be back for another wonderful and fun prank filled year at Hogwarts!_

_Yes, Miss Tipsy, we are. Now, as the faculty and the students who are age thirteen and older will recall, we, the Reformed Marauders, held a Prank War two years ago. We were, sadly, driven out of the castle last year by impending threat of death. *shudders*_

_Worry not, Mister Bam-bam, the threat is gone this year. Well, unless our new Professor Snape is anything like her husband, who happens to be a greasy git who lives for nothing more than to be the heartless bat of the dungeons._

_Really, Mister Hunter? Weren't you saying two years ago it was an honor to meet him?_

_Mr. Slick would do well to remember that Snape's a git, at least he was when my dad was in school._

_That's your father, Mr. Hunter, and I am sure that our parents – and the staff – will be most displeased to hear that we are holding and hosting yet another prank war! The prize is the same as last time, and as are the rules! However, we will add a new rule on this time: You are not to attack a fellow student who has been in the hospital wing within the last twenty-four hours for physical injuries that do not involve oxygen deprivation._

_A very thought out rule, Miss Tipsy. Care to elaborate on your idea?_

_Simply put, Mr. Slick, I'm bored, and I want a good laugh. Surely you can appreciate that? And besides, I met the Weasley twins over the summer, and they said that if they ever met the Marauders, they'd be groveling at their feet. Thus, I feel the need to thank them by holding another prank war and taking their merchandise off of the list of things that are banned. Well, so long as nobody has permanent damage done to them._

_Well, I see no reason not to. Students who are too young to remember the rules of the first war, I recommend that you get the rules from your senior students, because I'm sure that the teachers will be more than happy to hand out detentions – the two Snape professors in particular._

_Is it possible that they're not married?_

_Honestly, Miss Even, we'll continue this argument over dinner. And now, without further ado, let the Second Hogwarts Prank War, BEGIN!_

There was yet another gleeful arguing over who would be in what teams, but Severus had half a mind not to trust anything to do with Sarah. It _was, _after all, her who had started the Marauder announcement this time and had ignited the second prank war without consulting them. Well, he wasn't whining about it, but it would have been nice to at least give his little sister a little warning beforehand about the gang. Not that he'd let it slip that he was the co-head of it. Silvana looked at him worriedly, not sure of what was going on.

"Don't worry, baby sister," he said as she sat down next to him and took what was once Sarah's seat. "I can assure you, this happened before with no fatalities. It was quite fun, actually, when we faculty weren't the butt of the prank. No, I'll team up with you if you'd like."

"That would be lovely," she sighed happily, "So, where's this legendary apprentice Professor Slughorn tells me about?"

"Miss Denning, the one who was sorted into Slytherin last night," Severus said nodding to the sulking teen, "She's still grumpy about Merlin-knows-what. Although, it would be in both of our best interests if we were to team up with her before someone else does – she can be a deranged madwoman when she wants to be."

Later that morning, Sarah sat in her new Muggle Defense class with shorts and a tank top on with her hair up in a low ponytail. She was still very much angry, and had hexed one of the other students behind their backs so that they were in the hospital wing. She knew by now that all the other students were terrified of her becoming their feared Potions master's apprentice, and she'd been picking up on some cruel, snarky, and sadistic tendencies he had while working with him for such prolonged periods of time. Silvana was nervous when she saw the odd numbers, and immediately noted how all of the other students refrained from going anywhere near the Slytherin brunette. She began taking roll warily, and wasn't surprised when the student they were all avoiding was indeed Sarah, who Severus had said to keep an eye on and to get on her good side.

"All right, class, as you know, I am Professor Silvana Snape. Contrary to popular belief, I was _not _schooled here, but in Beauxbatons and your feared potions master is _not _my husband, but my _brother_. Anyone who says otherwise will be facing my fist firsthand. I want you to split off into pairs and show me what you remember," Silvana lectured loudly, her brother's reputation preceding her. She huffed when she saw the odd numbers. "Oh, come on, now! Surely one of the pairs can give enough of their time to show me what Miss Denning can do."

"That's just it, Professor," one Gryffindor piped up, "She's your brother's apprentice, and no offense to you, ma'am, but your brother and her are menaces and forces that you don't want to get mad. I've seen her angry during the summer once and boy was it scary. She faked her death because she was angry with how her parents were acting just because they weren't giving her whatever she wanted."

"That's a lie," Sarah said charging at him, Silvana restraining her. "You want to bring that up? The news told you I was abused, and it was telling the truth you little bastard! I'd watch my back if I were you, because you're going to be wishing you'd never learned how to talk when I'm through with you!"

"Yeah right," he said cockily, "The only reason you haven't been expelled so far is because Professor Snape – the _male _one – sees something in you that apparently he deems worthy of you being some sort of freak genius. Everyone knows you don't have a lick of talent in you for anything but hate and revenge. You're worse than Voldemort."

"I'd give you detention, Mr. Baxter, but it's the first day back," Silvana said coldly, "However, I feel the need to punish you. Fifty points from Gryffindor for so blatantly disrespecting your peer as well as one of your Professors, another ten for your crude sense of self-pride-building and belittling your classmate, and another forty for comparing one of your peers to He-who-must-not-be-named. Since none of you deem Miss Denning fit, you will all watch as she spars with me. Miss Denning, when you are ready."

Sarah stood stock-still at her new Professor, staring in shock and guilt. She'd misjudged this woman harshly and unfairly, and had almost played an extremely cruel prank on the woman to spite her over a petty unfounded belief. All of her grief, pain, and rage built up once more, and she raced towards her new mentor, her negative emotions spilling into a temper tantrum. She brought her fist to her teacher's face, but the woman deftly blocked it and aimed a knee at Sarah's gut. Sarah blocked both her Professor's attacking knee and arm with her left one, and aimed a bit of magic into a jab at her mentor's right shoulder. She knew this woman's fighting style, and decided to use a fighting style off of _Naruto_, an Anime show she'd once gotten addicted to, and in a way was still addicted to.

Naruto was how she got most of her foundations for her strategies, her knowledge of the human body, and had become trained somewhat in the arts of stealth and attacks. It was also where she picked up most of her fighting moves and styles, quite a few of them being able to transfer since she had magic and was able to create her own version of the ninjas' attacks and various jutsu, or the ninja equivalent of spells. Being Muggle raised most certainly had its advantages, and especially now that she was able to see how to attack and fight with everything she had.

Silvana's eyes widened a bit at Sarah's block of two attacks, not expecting it in the slightest, and had been forced to back up after receiving a particularly waspish jab to the right shoulder from the teen. She went to trip the teen, which deftly let it happen and used her falling momentum to land a better kick after planting her hands on the floor, causing her mentor to take a step backwards. After a few more attacks and maneuvers, the two women watched each other closely, sizing each other up. Silvana wasn't at all breathless, but neither was Sarah. After a few more quick maneuvers, they were each in the position that the other had been in mere moments before. Narrowing her eyes with approval, Silvana stood up straight.

"Well done, Miss Denning," Silvana praised, "I admit, I haven't seen that good of a physical fighter since my father. Not even Severus has been able to maneuver that quickly and agilely to get even with me. Ten points to Slytherin for proving the Gryffindor house wrong, and another twenty for exceeding my expectations with you."

"Thank you," Sarah said startled, unsure of what in the world this woman was getting at. "Thank you, ma'am. That – that… wow."

"Well? What are the rest of you waiting for? Start sparring!" Silvana snapped angrily, and Sarah began watching the others spar and attempt to recreate her attacks. Not a one of them managed it at all.

At long last the bell rang, and Silvana placed a hand on Sarah's arm. Sarah froze, her wariness and mental flags flaring, and the teacher remained calm.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, "You have potions next? I'll write a pass, but first… I need to know if what he said was true. Did you really fake your death?"

"My parents used to do nothing but scream at me and beat me for minor infringements. When I was five, they abandoned me for ten years, and then put me in an asylum for my being a witch two summers ago just because I told them that I believed in magic. That was when I did so," Sarah said sadly, on the verge of a breakdown, "I had no other choice. They were literally starving me in there, and – and they said that if I didn't 'clean up my act' that they'd-they'd…"

"It's alright," Silvana said assuredly, "I understand. I want to talk to you in my office – no, don't start that, you're not in trouble! You're not in trouble, I promise, I just want to have a girl talk as one of your co-heads of house. You're not in trouble, although I _should _be docking points for the vulgar language, he started it. Here, your pass for Sev's class. After dinner?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sarah said quietly, tears forming in her eyes, "Professor?"

"Yes?" Silvana asked gently.

"Did – did your dad beat both of you? Was-was it really that bad?" Sarah asked tearfully.

"It was horrible to Sev and me," Silvana said quietly, "But from what I'm hearing from the other staff members, your upbringing was twice as brutal and twenty times as neglect-filled as my own. You really are a wonderful fighter. Where did you learn?"

"Muggle TV," Sarah admitted as she left the classroom and headed down toward the dungeon. Silvana simply stood there with a smile on her face and shaking her head.

* * *

So, yeah, Sarah kicks butt. I know I'm a Gryffindor basher, but I'm a snake fan. Orochimaru is a snake user off of an anime called _Naruto _– relax, not all anime is porno, this included – and Snape is one of the best heroes ever in Harry Potter. I actually took a bunch of personality tests on the internet, and five out of seven told me I was in Slytherin. I know, I'm crazy and hyper but I'm in Slytherin. Weird, huh?

Review, and you'll get virtual candy. If you don't review, you'll get a virtual stunning spell.


	25. Chapter 25

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

After dinner, Sarah went straight into Silvana's office. She looked around nervously, tears forming in her eyes with guilt at her foolish rage once more. The new professor looked up and smiled gently, motioning for her to come in and to shut the door.

"I'd offer tea, but Sev said you were against it," Silvana said gently, and Sarah smiled softly. "So, what would you like to talk about first?"

"My parents," Sarah said, pulling out the article from the Daily Prophet that she'd stashed in the pocket of her robes. "But… the article doesn't go into much detail. I-for the longest time, my parents would both scream at me and-and tell me that I should have died. They wanted me gone, and when I was five, a few days before Christmas, my mother screamed at me to get out of the house. I was terrified, and I didn't want to get beaten for disobedience, so I ran. Nobody cared."

Silvana gasped and became increasingly horrified as Sarah continued her tale. Sarah felt so much better after revealing her secret to the older witch, and began confiding more and more to the woman. She soon found herself almost unable to stop, barely hiding the fact that she knew the identities of all of the Marauders and was one herself. It was dark by the time Sarah finished talking, and the teenager was hoarse.

"Thank you," Sarah said wearily, "You have no idea how long I've waited for someone to listen to me like that. it felt good, thank you. I-I…"

"It's alright," Silvana said gently, tears also in her eyes, "I understand. I'll explain my background to you another day. I'll suffice to say that my father faked my death to try to break Severus. He even sent me to Beauxbatons to keep me away from him, and paid a French lady to keep me for the summers. I will, however, mention that our mother wasn't abusive at all in any way. But, we're half bloods, you see, so she couldn't perform magic to protect us. Severus and I became good fighters and hiders because of our father's abuse. My father even tried to rape me just as I got my Hogwarts letter. Thankfully my powerful bout of accidental magic prevented him from removing his pants in any way for the next few days. Thus, I was sent to Beauxbatons. I'm used to it. I, too, was forced to drink a de-aging potion gone wrong, and thus, I'm in the same predicament as Sev."

There was a hanging silence in the air for a few minutes.

"Sorry," Sarah muttered as she looked at the clock, "I shouldn't have wasted all your time…"

"Nonsense! That's what I'm here for, Miss Denning! Contrary to popular belief, the hearts of my brother and me pump more than just blood and oxygen," Silvana teased. "I'll be here whenever you need me. I feel that as a fellow abuse victim, and a co-head of Slytherin house, that it is my role as a substitute mother to keep an eye out on all my little snakes. Now, if I recall correctly, it's almost your curfew. I think I'll walk you to your dorms, just to make sure you don't get in trouble."

"Thank you, Professor," Sarah blushed.

"Please, call me Silvana," she smiled, "But, only when it's under the same regulations that you're allowed to call my brother 'Severus'."

"Thank you… Silvana," Sarah said quietly. "Silvana… Geez, you're lucky. Your name's actually beautiful."

"Yours is too," Silvana shot back, "Yours actually means 'Princess' in Hebrew. Miss Denning, I would like to give you privileges since you have managed so well in class today. I will test you at the beginning of each week, and if you pass the exam, you will be spending my class time to do something entirely different for a different kind of Muggle Defense. Yes, there is the physical Muggle Defense I'm teaching the others, but I'd like to talk to you about the _mental _Muggle Defense. Your first homework assignment will be to draw ten things to show me how you are feeling about your parents. I don't care how much detail it is in, or even the content – I just want the entire page to have color unless skin is white as paper."

"Yes, ma'am," Sarah said obediently as Silvana handed her a sketchpad. "Thank you. This means a lot to me, it really does. Professor Snape was the only other person to listen to me before. Professor, there's another student like me, he's a fourth year in Hufflepuff, and-and I don't want him to go without this class. Rocky Underwood, ma'am."

"Ah yes, I have his class first thing in the morning," Silvana said kindly, "Now, I understand you have a lot of homework for your first day back. Why don't you go get some done?"

"Yes, ma'am. Thanks again," Sarah said before racing out, not catching the amused and weary sigh her professor let out.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Hogwarts Staff, and the Weasley family," Silvana greeted the next day, "I would like to thank you all first and foremost for coming to this meeting on such short notice, and especially if you have come from out of the country. As you know from the Daily Prophet, Miss Denning has had a bit of a parental issue her whole life. I have seen her behavior in Muggle Defense Class, and it is more than just appalling – it is both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

"She is very calm and composed until you at long last manage to anger her, and then she turns into a mass of rage that will only be calmed through violence. I had to dock an extreme amount of points from the Gryffindor for some horrific and very, very vulgar statements that preceded the rage, however. She is a formidable foe, better than Severus, Me, and our father all three put together. And that is saying a lot since our father was an expert fighter."

"Oh dear," Severus said in tones so worried and terrified that the others were looking at the two Snape siblings like something was wrong. "How did you stop her?"

"Simple," Silvana replied, "I encouraged her to take her anger out on me in a fist-fight under the guise of a test to see how much she knew and was able to fight. Her fighting style is more than just amazing, it is so unique that I actually held her back to ask her about it. She uses a combination of magic and physical attacks, but not enough to be noticed until the toll taken on your nervous system is too powerful, and let me tell you this. I have never, in my entire adult life, been afraid of anyone that wasn't Voldemort or Severus – the latter only because he's by older brother – and even more said so about those younger than me. However, this child – no, this young woman – has me terrified out of my wits. I worry for her sanity, she's powerful, if not completely unstable emotionally.

"I decided to talk to Sev to find out about her background. I found out that she had been so brutally abused, and I figured that it was the cause for her rage, frustration with her peers mocking and ridiculing her over petty things, and her violent tendencies. True to Slytherin code, I disguised another test in the forms of a homework assignment. The assignment was to draw five pictures showing me things that she felt about her family, and I wanted no white spots on the papers unless it was a part of the clouds, people, or buildings. When I received her homework back this morning, she had gone far above and beyond the call.

"I found not five, but _twenty _pieces of her artwork on my desk this morning. She created ten copies of a horrific scene from the Muggle Bible – I'm sure you're all familiar with the story of the Egyptian plagues. She used this as her basis for the first ten, each picture being one of the ten horrifying plagues, and in the stead of the Egyptians, she used her parents, her brothers, and any other people in her past that she bears a grudge against. I also noticed that Rita Skeeter was on the front lines near her parents. However, what startled me was that she also put people _behind _her in the photo. You see, in the photo, she used herself in representation of Moses, and the people she was 'Freeing' were people that were being abused – Harry and Mr. Underwood included, among other faces I did and didn't recognize."

"What about the other ten photos?" Severus asked fearfully.

"The first one was quite similar to the Egyptian plagues – the only difference was that it showed not the plagues, but a – ah, Poltergeist – haunting her parents. There were titles on the backs of all the photos, and the title I found on this particular one was quite shocking – Revenge Plot Number One. The different forms of ghosts, however, were past versions of herself at different ages, all sobbing and asking different questions. The fifth and sixth year versions were hurt and angry, but the seventh year version was – Merlin's beard – terrifying. Her wand was brandished out at them, her face contorted angrily, and a red spell being sent in their direction. I can only assume that that is where Peeves has been missing at for who knows how long.

"The second photo was most certainly an odd one. It showed a blonde male in a green tunic with a sword on his back, and three golden triangles on his right hand. However, it also showed a black wolf facing the opposite direction and the two faded in and out of each other at the neck and back. (A/N: Think Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess.) The third one showed something even scarier – Voldemort as a sixteen year old, but – it was odd… he was dressed differently. I'm not sure what it was, but he had some sort of giant purple snake. Mr. Potter, _his _eyes – what color were they in the chamber?"

"Uh, dark," Harry said confused, "A dark brown I think. Why?"

"The man's eyes were golden, just like a snake's," Silvana said shaking her head. "I'm not sure what it meant, though. He wore a giant upside-down bow made of rope on his rear, and for the life of me, I just can't seem to put my finger on why it should seem – oh, of course. She told me that she got most of her fighting skills off of a Muggle TV show from Japan. The person in the drawing must have been from the Muggle show, although I won't deny I mistook the male character for a female at first."

"What about the other seven pictures?" Arthur asked, "What did they show?"

"The first of the other seven showed a remarkable change in her normal ones – this one was…different. I couldn't quite place the emotions that she was feeling with it. it showed her underwater, meditating, and alone. The second was one that I thought was insane – her being a Parselmouth, which I have no sense in looking for unless we perform a lineage background check with the Goblins at Gringotts. The third one showed her alone, surrounded by different things surrounded in mists. Among the more normal things for our kind were her wand, a snake, a cauldron, and-and a skull, but not the dark mark. I saw a lot of Muggle things, too – music, a television set – which is basically an entertainment system that shows moving pictures with electricity – more items off of TV shows, and an Ocarina. I think – I think she want to feel that she has some sort of power, which she had none until Severus came into her life.

"The fifth was even _more _disturbing. She was in a graveyard, standing over a gravestone that was literally marked with her own name and a false date of death, and she looked as though she'd just broken out of Azkaban and hadn't had a bath in more than a month. Severus was in this one, too, but he was clean, and it looked as though he was upset at her death and they were comforting each other. I still don't – Severus Tobias Snape, don't you dare tell me that that picture she drew was a memory!"

"It was," he admitted, "It really happened. That was about a week after she faked her death to get away from her parents and I was visiting her grave to see if I could get any hints as to her whereabouts from it, since I knew she liked to leave clues in the most obvious hiding places. I didn't think she'd be hiding in the graveyard for me to figure out that her gravestone itself was the final clue to her hiding spot."

"That's disturbing. I'll get the details from you later, you ignorant git. I'm your baby sister, you're supposed to tell me this kind of shit! Moving on, the sixth one showed me in black robes and Sev in pure white one with frilly blue lace," Silvana said just before Severus began laughing like an idiot. "Let me guess, another memory?"

"Yes, that particular one was a result of the Prank War in Rocky Underwood's first year at school. It was, ironically, Sarah's fifth year in school and she'd gone mute with trauma," Harry explained as Severus continued trying to get his laughter under control. "Severus was able to get her talking again only because he was her head of house and had been using Legilimency to communicate with her and to see what she was saying. The white outfit he was wearing was the trick that got her to talk for the first time since an encounter with some wizards who thought it would be fun to hurt her with the Cruciatus curse a few times each."

"Okay, then. The seventh one was a little off, if not crowded. It showed a mirror, something Severus told me was the Mirror of Erised. Inside the mirror, however, was the love of her life – who I will not name – and behind him was his entire family, and behind her was her entire family, which was considerably larger. The mirror of Erised shows you what your heart desires the most, and thus, she wants to have a family and for her family to love her. As angry and spiteful as she is towards them in her artwork, she really does miss them."

"Let me guess, the eighth one was a wedding picture," Severus sneered.

"Actually, yes, it was," Silvana said, "And that is all I will say on that matter. The ninth one was somewhat normal, if not odd – her in a den of snakes with a set of ravens, badgers and lions teamed up against her in hatred, with the snakes in the pit hissing angrily at her with one exception of a black cobra, which rested on her shoulders. I can only assume the black cobra was some sort of representation."

"The time when the entire school hated her for being my apprentice," Severus nodded, "although why on earth she chose a cobra is beyond me."

"Perhaps it has something to do with the King Cobra, and you are the legendary King of the Dungeons and the snakes," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Point made, Hermione," Harry said giving her the please-shut-up-before-he-kills-us look.

"The tenth one was extremely hard to figure out," Silvana said at last, "It showed a multitude of animals all gathered and having a good time. It was very confusing. The animals were, in order from left to right: two deer – a stag and a doe – a large dog, a werewolf, a hawk, a tiger, a lioness, an otter, an owl, a bat, a snake, a badger, a raven, a phoenix, and-and a-a half-kneazle cat."

"Of course. She wants people she knows to get along, so she must have chosen their patronus forms to represent them," Severus said calmly. "Although the two deer, the dog, and the werewolf patronus forms all have dead masters as far as I know, so I suppose that puts my idea out of the running."

"Yes, but it's the best one we have, Severus," Minerva said calmly. "I believe that we should keep an eye on her and-and screen her letters. Perhaps she is trying to make contact with her parents."

"She already has, Minerva. That was who the package was from a few days ago," Severus retorted, "I screened her reply before it managed to get too far away from the castle. It was from her mother, who apparently had a sudden and very odd change of heart enough to send Miss Denning two thousand American dollars and a very elegant dress, even by witch standards. I have, however, removed said dress from Miss Denning's care to check for dark curses just in case."

"How do we know you're not just going to use that to start having insane fantasies?" Ron shot, and Severus and Silvana both shot him shut-your-mouth-and-take-that-back-or-I-will-kill-you glares (glare number 65).

"Weasley, if your parents weren't here, I'd be hexing you six ways to Sunday," the two Snape professors said venomously, "And for the record, it would be best if we were able to keep her going with this therapy, wouldn't you agree, headmistress?"

"I believe so since it is enabling her to be rid of her emotions without causing any kind of harm or stress to another student. The faculty, however… that is another matter entirely," she shuddered slightly. "Yes, this is the best route to take. Thank you for finding it, Silvana. However did you think of it?"

"Actually, I learned a very good number of nonviolent stress relief methods from mind healers at St. Mungo's before I came here. I wanted to be ready for worst-case scenarios of having to deal with a psychopath like Sev did last year," she said flipping her hair as she left the room, adjourning the meeting that she had called.

"Greasy bitch," Ron muttered.

"That's it!" Severus roared, "You and me in a duel, Tomorrow Night at dinner!"

Silvana laughed, her inner Slytherin coming out at the joys of a duel for the next night. Severus would wipe the floors with Weasley, and he probably wouldn't even need a second, knowing him. She smirked, knowing that he'd choose her for his second for old times' sake. She shook her head, telling herself to refuse and turn the title over to Sarah, who so obviously and desperately wanted to prove herself to him.

* * *

So, yeah, they're worried about her. Silvana really has come to look at Sarah like a little sister that she never had, and Sarah looks up to her like a surrogate mother. I couldn't resist making these pictures, but I'm not good at art, so I didn't actually draw them. Sorry! My specialty is words, not colors.

Review? I'll try to draw the pictures I had in mind and reveal some stuff about the pictures I left out because I didn't want to humiliate Snape, but only to those who review. If you're a guest, send me your email so I can email it to you.


	26. Chapter 26

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

this one is in pure italics because it's all writing.

* * *

_Dear Mama, October 1, 2010_

_Severus and I were in a duel the other day. It was so weird, but I was so happy! I was asked to be his second, which is his backup in case he got knocked out. That for Severus is a real honor, because he has had some trust issues in the past since he's usually only seen the horrible side of people and he was a spy in a couple wars. Wizard wars, but he's okay with it, even if he does occasionally get horrible flashbacks during his meals on occasion. _

_Anyways, the duel was between him and the new Flying instructor, which is insanity. The idiot redhead had the nerve to insult Severus' little sister! So, naturally, Severus took it upon himself to stick up for Silvana and fulfill his role as a good big brother properly should. It was so amazing! Severus shot off six hexes within fifteen seconds, knocking Weasley out of the Great Hall completely, which is about the size of a football field, if that's any indication about how strong my mentor is. Anyways, so while he was momentarily distracted his opponent's second, who happened to be Weasley's wife, the math teacher, managed to do a notice-me-not charm and to stun Severus._

_So Severus was knocked back and then the useless woman had enough nerve to shoot seven powerful, almost dark, hexes at him before sending him flying backwards and knocking him out with a concussion and a few broken bones from bone-breaking curses. Thus, I stepped forward while she was gloating to begin my own attack. All my rage, anger and hatred boiled over – I couldn't take it anymore. _

_I shot the first hex at her to lure her into sensibility, and she dodged with a protection spell. I began weaseling closer to her and began to lure her backwards into a corner. She sadly disarmed me so I resorted to fist-fighting methods that I remembered from Naruto by watching Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, Kakashi Hatake, and Sakura Haruno. I fought wand against fist, but won anyways. I rendered her wand arm useless when it came to magic and began to beat the snot out of her. As her magic over-rode mine, I grabbed my wand and sent her flying backwards before reeling her back in and ramming her gut with the strongest punch I could muster with as much magic built into it as I could. She was sent flying backwards in the like manner as her husband and actually created a bit of a crater in the far side of the staff room… twas quite funny since that was the moment that Severus woke up and stared at me._

_So, my classes are going good. Care of Magical creatures is going quite well, Hagrid's been a great teacher, if a little one the dangerous side every once in a while, but he knows when to draw it back after going a tidbit too far. I think Professor Silvana Snape and the headmistress are helping him with that. Professor Flitwick, our old Charms Professor, retired, so we have a walrus of one now that used to teach here before he retired – _twice_! Professor M. Weasley is a kind, motherly woman who teaches Transfiguration, and Professor Potter is an easygoing Defense Teacher, so long as you don't make him angry. Just don't start bullying someone in front of his face and you'll be fine. Let's see, Professor Binns, the ghost teacher for History of Magic _finally _retired and moved on. Thank Merlin for that. I'm also taking Muggle Defense as a blow off course since I obviously already know how to defend myself, and Professor Silvana Snape tested me herself to see how I can do. Apparently I've done so well that I don't need to study for a few more weeks, so she has me drawing some crazy stuff during her class time or something to help me with my "mental" Muggle Defense. I still don't know what she means, but she's the expert, not me. Also, our Potions Master – aka, _Severus _– was told to be the Deputy Headmaster so that he can be headmaster when Headmistress McGonagall retires. Joy of joys._

_I'm not sure how I should react to him right now, mama. I love him, but I'm not sure if it's a brother-sister love or something more. I keep feeling some sort of electricity between him and me. Should I talk to him about it, or wait until the Christmas dance?_

_What do you think?_

_Sarah D._

_PS. Thanks for the new bank account with sufficient funds. It made me happy to go shopping as a Muggle again… until someone ruined it. (I blame an idiotic blonde news reporting b with an itch.)_

…_._

_Dearest Sarah, October 10, 2010_

_I'm sorry to hear that your shopping trip was ruined by a horrible woman. Knowing you, you'll find a way to get her arrested for one thing or another. You always were good at cooking up horrible plots for revenge with Emily. As for that duel you and Severus were in – I'm impressed. To be able to fight like that with such power makes me so very guilty at what I've done. Although, _Naruto _can't take _all _the credit – I believe that your father and I must, sadly, take some as well. However, we are very proud of you for supporting your Severus in such a manner. I'm sure he's happy that you were able to help him defeat that math teacher, even if his manly pride did get bruised a little bit. No doubts that with your magical abilities you'll surpass your mentor one day. What is your apprentice-ship in? How have you been doing? I'd ask if you're grades are good, but I don't want to be a nag, which I know you hate._

_I'm so proud of you, and I love you so much!_

_I should have said that more when you were little, I just didn't realize how special you truly are until it was too late and someone tried to pick you up from us telling us you were a witch. He called himself Slughorn…_

_Either way, does he still teach Potions there? As for talking to Severus about your feelings – I recommend you talk to your "head of house" as you call them. Unless of course, he _is _your head of house, at which point you'll need to talk to a female teacher about it. I'd wait until Christmas to see how he acts when you wear the dress. Did I get the right color green for your house colors, dear? I really hope I did. What color is Severus' favorite? I want to butter him up and try to win him with a gift or two to make him feel like he won't have anything to worry about from this old woman… or "Muggle" as you call us._

_Your teachers sound quite appealing and like they really know what they're talking about. And is Severus, the one you keep mentioning with such fervor, awe and respect, your _teacher_, Sarah Denning? I'd say shame on you, but I know you have your standards set high, and so he must be a decent man to be able to uphold them. However, I wish to meet him to see how he is treating my baby girl. Severus and Silvana Snape are siblings, right? Please tell me you're not interfering with a marriage!_

_As for your feelings, wait until Christmas my dear and we'll go from there. Do be a good girl, and tell us about your grades, we want to hear them! How have they looked these past six years? Did you pass your fifth year tests? We never got any mail about it from the school._

_We will always love you, and will put an added hundred dollars in your bank account for every A+ your receive! Or are there different grades there in Hogwarts?_

_Love you always with all our hearts,_

_Mom and Dad Denning_

_PS. We did some research into your _Naruto _hobby and found that it is Naruto's birthday today. Care to make him a cake and help him blow out the candles? Just Kidding baby girl, it's us trying to support you._

…_._

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Denning, October 12, 2010_

_Your previous letters to your daughter have aroused my suspicions, but she has assured me that you are all trying to set aside your differences. I know I have no business reading her letters, and I have not except for the parts that she has personally let me read unadulterated – she has a habit of covering the parts that she doesn't wish to share with me with her homework. There are a number of things that I would like to ask as one of her co-heads of house, but I will refrain from doing so until a later time. I believe that you asked about our grading system here at Hogwarts? Allow me to give you the basics:_

_T-Troll D-Dreadful P-Poor A-Acceptable E-Exceeds Expectations O-Outstanding_

_I believe that the letter grades would align as follows in the Muggle world: T for F minus, D for an F plus or a D minus, P for a D plus or C minus, A for a C plus or a B minus, E for a B plus or A minus, and O for anything above a 94%. I, as her head of house, have taken a look at all her grades for the past years. You will be pleased to know that her grades have never slipped below an E at all, never once. Her Potions and Defense grades have always been Outstanding, and her Muggle Defense grade has been as well. I can assure you, your daughter is doing remarkably well, and has been showing powerful signs of becoming a wonderful prodigy in our midst. I take great pride in being her co-head of house alongside my brother. _

_As for your daughter's apprentice-ship, she is a year into her training to become a Potions Mistress like my brother, something that he inspired in her no doubt when he saved her life a year and a half ago. I feel that she is more than capable enough in the areas of Muggle Defense physically, and so I have her doing artwork to keep her emotionally stable, as she is occasionally prone to having temper tantrums or nervous meltdowns. The homework and classwork I set for her has since been keeping all these meltdowns at bay, as has meeting with me at least twice a week to simply discuss things that may be causing her stress and how to avoid them._

_Your supporting joke at the end of your last letter to her was a very sweet one, if not unorthodox. _

_I sincerely hope that you are able to rebuild at least a small bond with your daughter. I know I wanted that after I left home. Sarah insisted I tell you how many Outstanding grades she got – twenty-five total for her first four years, all ten across the board with her fifth year OWL (Ordinary Wizard Level) examinations, and all but History last year._

_Silvana Snape, Co-Head of Slytherin house_

_PS. Severus isn't my husband, he's my older brother. However, I appreciate your concern._

…_.._

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_Did you get Professor Snape's letter? I hope so. I'm so swamped with all my homework and my apprentice-ship! I love you, and I'll try to write, but if I don't contact you until Christmas, I'm sorry! I just get so busy with being a student and apprentice at the same time!_

_And yes, I made Naruto a small birthday cake on my plate out of my dinner on the tenth._

_Love, Sarah_

…_._

_Dear Sarah, October 20, 2010_

_Your Professor Silvana Snape seems like a very kind, caring, and understanding woman. How on earth is she not married? we apologize for being so rude and thinking that you interrupted your Potions Master's love life. We should have known better. What are the house colors for Slytherin? We want to know as much as we can about Hogwarts. Is there a house mascot? What about sports? Are you making friends? _

_What am I saying, of course you are, you're my daughter!_

_We cannot express how proud we are of you and your grades! We told your aunts and cousins and they are so happy about your grades and that you're alive! I'm presuming you used your magic to alter that corpse's dental work? How very sneaky of you! I'd say I'm disappointed, but I'm also impressed, and a bit disgusted that you touched a dead body. Also, it'll be the 27th before you get this, so could you tell the Snake guy – Orochimaru? – from Naruto that we tell him Happy birthday for us?_

_Love you always,_

_Mom and Dad Denning, and the boys_

* * *

So, how long do you think this will last?

Review!


	27. Chapter 27

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"I can't believe it," Sarah murmured as she looked at a letter she received on Halloween with a package, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't believe it! Oh my gosh!"

"Oh dear," Severus said flinching, "Do I even want to know?"

"She's been having contact with her parents. They sent me a letter asking for permission to see her at a family reunion of theirs for Thanksgiving, with adult supervision of course," Silvana said, "They must have said yes. She must be excited about something else as well or she wouldn't be squealing like that. I recommend talking to her. She's been confiding an awful lot in me, and I don't want to staunch your relationship with your apprentice."

"Fine," Severus said as he got up to approach her. "Is something wrong, Miss Denning? Is there a threat from your parents or a jealous stalker?"

"No, sir they want me over for thanksgiving with a teacher to come with me," she said excitedly, "They want to meet you or Professor Silvana Snape, sir! They-they said they'd make it up to me! They said they'd pay for our airplane tickets if we went! Please, can we go? I haven't seen my cousins in so long, and I'm sure that there are more now than there were before. Please, Professor?"

"I will have to think about this. Even if I were to say yes, I would need to talk to the headmistress about getting time off," Severus said running a hand through his hair.

"You could always tell her that it's to research rare American ingredients for a Potion that we're working on," Sarah piped up, and he gave her his best you-cheeky-brat-I'll-get-you glare (glare #69) for it.

"We shall see," he said simply as he walked away.

"What was that about, Severus?" the headmistress asked when he sat down. "What was she squealing about?"

"She had just had an epiphany and we would like to know if I could accompany her to America to look for rarer Potions ingredients," Severus lied smoothly, "As well as her parents writing that they looked forward to hearing about her school life. This is, after all, a milestone for their rocky relationship."

"Of course, Severus," Minerva gasped, "Why, in all my years that we were both teaching you never once asked for time off! Of course I'll let you take her to America to look for new Potions Ingredients! How long do you need? A week? Two? A month?"

"No, I believe a week will do, two weeks at the most," Severus assured quickly, "we can always get the textbooks that they use over there and get in touch with an American Apothecary to send us any ingredients that we may need. Thank you, Minerva. What of her schoolwork?"

"Miss Denning will need to work extra hard, but I'm sure she'll manage, especially if she uses her Muggle Defense class to complete it all," she said happily, "I'm glad that you finally decided to take a little time off for yourself, Severus! I'm sure Silvana will have no problems splitting the Potions lessons with Horace while you're gone. Besides that, if the two overlap, then Silvana may teach Potions while Potter teaches Muggle Defense if he has a free period."

"Or, the Potions students can just work on essays in Silvana's classroom while I'm gone," he said countering her idea, "that way she can keep an eye on them without disrupting her schedule."

"A wonderful idea!" she said happily, "Tomorrow is Saturday, why don't you get going then?"

"Um, actually, we want to go for the fourth week in November," Severus said warily, "It seems to be an American Holiday, and Sarah wants to participate in it while there. She misses a few of the American culture luxuries, as I'm sure you'll understand."

"Of course," she said smiling softly, "I will speak with Silvana about the courses."

"Oh, no need, I'll catch her and blackmail her into it," Severus smiled evilly, "even if I have to tell about every embarrassing moment of her childhood."

"Severus Snape you wouldn't dare!" Silvana screamed from four seats down, "You wouldn't dare do that!"

He smirked evilly at her as all students' eyes went to the faculty table. He turned to Harry and began to talk.

"NOOO!" she screamed in panic and raced to stop him, her face flushing with embarrassment. "I'll do whatever you want, just _don't _tell about when we were kids!"

"Anything?" Severus said with an evil glint in his eyes.

"YES, ANYTHING, SEVERUS! I'LL MAKE THE UNBREAKABLE VOW IF I HAVE TO, JUST _DON'T _REVEAL ANY OF MY SECRETS! I'LL BE A GOOD BABY SISTER, I PROMISE! JUST DON'T EMBARRASS ME IN FRONT OF THE STUDENTS BY TELLING THEM WHAT WE WERE LIKE AS KIDS!" Silvana shrieked desperately at him, her face as red as the Weasley family hair. He chuckled evilly.

"Very well," he relented, "On the condition that you watch over all of my Potions students in your classroom while I take time off to research ingredients in America, I will keep my vow of silence until I leave to do so for my week of travel, and you will not talk about our childhood at all either. Believe me, I'll know."

"Fine!" she shrieked, panic rising.

"Oh, and before you make even _more _of a fool of yourself in front of the entire student body, you might want to consider changing your clothes – someone seems to have cast a disillusionment charm on your outer robes revealing your undergarments."

He couldn't hold back the evil smile that held him in place as she raced from the Great Hall shrieking like a banshee. As soon as she was gone, he burst into laughter and began banging his fist on the table, swearing to do that again as soon as he possibly could.

"You're horrible," Minerva said not to laugh.

"I know," Severus said through the laughter that was bringing him to tears. "But she makes it so easy!"

"You are a horrible big brother, Severus," Horace said disappointed, "You should go apologize to Silvana."

"Well, it wasn't entirely a lie, since I cast a disillusionment charm on her in our quarters and removed it before we left," he said evilly. "So technically, I wasn't lying. I'll just tell her I removed it before anyone else could see her and didn't tell her about it."

"Again, horrible," Harry chuckled with tearful eyes. "I hope James and Alby don't try that on Lily when they grow up."

"They will," Severus gasped happily, putting him in endlessly good spirits for the day.

He was also glad that the Slytherin house was working with the Ravenclaw house during Potions and the Gryffindor with Hufflepuff. The two groups would most definitely complement each other. in a sudden wave of realization and thawing, the students began laughing at their Muggle Defense teacher, who would no doubt be embarrassed and casting protection charms on her all day long. Even they couldn't deny now that their Potions master had a sense of humor, even if it was dark, twisted, and very cruel.

"Do it again," Sarah laughed as she made her way out of the Great Hall alongside her mentor. "Oh, that was genius. What did you say?"

Severus told her only to have her break out into more laughter that resulted in oxygen deprivation. He smirked and shook his head as he left his apprentice with the mediwitch. One of these days that girl would get herself into so much trouble and laughter from her pranks that she'd become a pox to herself.

Sarah grinned as she hastily penned out a reply to her parents.

_Dear Mom and Dad, October 31, 2010_

_Happy Halloween, first off, and second, I love this school. The Snape siblings aren't married because of the infamous Snape temper, which they mellow out until they finally can't keep it in and let out in one big yelling volcano. Yelling only, they use legitimate punching bags if they need to get physical to relieve their stress. Slytherin colors are green and silver. Please, nothing red and gold, as those are Gryffindor colors, and Severus _hates _those colors, and I'll still be living next door to him during the final years of my time as his apprentice. The Slytherin house mascot is a snake, the Gryffindor is a Lion, the Ravenclaw is a raven (of course), and the Hufflepuff is a badger. The house colors for Ravenclaw are blue and purple, I believe, if not black and blue. Hufflepuff, meanwhile, is yellow and orange. _

_Quidditch is the only sport played in the school, and it consists of riding on broomsticks, which I'm _not _good at since you know how terrified I am of going at a canter on a horse from my horse-back riding days. As for friends, well… there are the group called the Marauders, and they're a bunch of pranksters. So far I've gotten them to start a prank war a couple years ago, with the permission from the headmistress of course when I presented a theoretical idea. They kind of take over sometimes whenever the school needs a little humor. They do, however, make sure no rules are broken, no pranks are fatal, no sports players are attacked within a day and a half of the match that would leave them hurt and unable or less able to play, and of course, no pranks on those who show signs of depression or insanity. _

_Yes, there are loony tunes here at school, even if the teachers _do _know how to handle them perfectly. I'm a perfect example!_

_Professor S. Snape has gotten permission. You'll have to see which one when I get there for Thanksgiving, and be sure to let us have a seat at the adult table, yes? We wouldn't want a fully grown and mature Hogwarts Professor to be offended._

_Love,_

_Sarah D._

"You're horrible," Harry whispered quietly as he read her letter over her shoulder. "I hope you're taking the male one, because he'll have them wetting their pants in seconds."

"Oh, I intend to," Sarah smiled evilly up at him.

"No, you're evil with a capital e," Harry said standing up before crossing the room to begin the lesson for the day. "Speaking of which, Miss Denning, I'll need a word with you after class."

"Translation: you're in big shit," the same Gryffindor said acidly sneering at Sarah. Only ten points were taken off for his language.

* * *

I couldn't resist humiliating Silvana. I just couldn't resist. Yes, she'll be a bit of a loon, and yes, she'll humiliate people sometimes, but she'll also be a help and eventually a main character, either in this one or in another one that will go alongside this.

Review?


	28. Chapter 28

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Sarah smiled as they left the plane that had carried them from Scotland to America. "I'll tell you what, if my family is worse, you give me three homework passes for three essays. If your family is worse, I'll write three extra essays on the way home about the different uses of the different ingredients here."

"Sounds fair enough," Severus said simply, "Now, what would be the quickest way to scare them?"

"Put fake fangs in your mouth," Sarah said with a wide grin, "They may not be superstitious, but they'll believe you're a vampire if we show up at night and if I had a Hickie – not that I want one."

"Brat," he smirked evilly. "Besides, I can tell you as many embarrassing things about Silvana that I want on this trip so that you can use them against her. I said it would last until my trip, meaning that she'll want to renew it the minute I get back in the castle."

"Thus we get it in while we can," Sarah smirked as she pulled out a large notebook and a pen. "I'm all ears."

Two hours later, they were on a plane from Chicago to Little Rock, Arkansas, and from there they'd drive down to Conway. Severus was _not _happy with that leg of the trip, as he wasn't used to the useless Muggle tin-can-on-wheels idea. However, the ride and everything was paid for in full by her parents, and Sarah was smiling widely the whole time, conversing with Severus more about childhood stories and even about the brilliant idea to disguise him as a woman for a while. He hadn't been happy about that last part, but had eventually relented if only to see the looks on her family's faces.

They arrived at about midnight, and Severus was appalled to find a young man on the couch while there was a trailer not ten feet away from the house. Sarah's mother was still not privy to the gender of her daughter's professor, and, assuming Severus to be a girl, set up a cot in the bedroom prepared for Sarah and her guest. Severus wasn't at all happy, until Sarah suggested that he take the bed and she sleep on the floor. After all, she reasoned, she'd slept in _much _worse places than a bedroom floor that had been freshly cleaned for use. Sarah's mother left the duo alone for the night and Severus finally removed his large bulky cloak, which had been what was concealing his gender, and looked around him closer.

A desk held a laptop on top with a note: Happy 17th Birthday, Sarah! Love, Mom & Dad. The drawers were full of papers and things that Sarah knew she wouldn't need, but the top left one had church achievements that her parents had cheated into getting her, leaving her church leaders in the dark as to Sarah's true whereabouts. They'd cheated the system and had sent Sarah's letters, which she'd filled out confused when sent to her by the church via owl post, and had given her replies to the leaders of their congregations to get her the awards. She knew she didn't earn them, and so she kept them where they were. She was, after all, not a thief enough to steal from churches, even if she _was _a Slytherin. The closet was full of clothes, not exactly new ones, but tomboyish ones. He even noticed a few of the outfits were garbed by _Naruto _characters, which he also noticed most were store-bought (not cheap), and a few were home-made since they couldn't be bought. An IPod Touch rested on a nightstand with a pair of headphones, and she began scanning through the two or more thousand songs on it immediately to see what she had left of her previous playlists of music, no doubt.

"Wow," she murmured, "More than two thousand songs, all from _my _Itunes playlist that I'd uploaded and upgraded in England while on the run. I emailed the system users and kept all my Itunes music on my black flash drive – that must have been why mum wanted it so badly. She was getting this ready for me…"

"Does it meet your expectations?" he whispered, carefully eyeing the replica of the Terra Cotta Warrior next to her entertainment center, on which rested a TV, Gamecube, a Drama II project atop the TV, a Nintendo 64 on the lower rack, and a couple dolls on the top.

"Wow, a Zorua doll and a black Yoshi doll," Sarah chuckled, "They must really want me back to spoil me this much. Holy crap, more than thirty of the fifty-seven volumes of _Naruto _Manga… Ooh, and my own candy stash…"

"You can mail all that to yourself later," Severus drawled quietly. "Right now, it is far past curfew."

"No, I want to shrink all these books, stick then in a metal box, ship it across the ocean with a lot of other stuff in here, and make sure I get it at Hogwarts," Sarah whined quietly.

"Tomorrow after we get back," he hissed before climbing into the tall bed. "Why on earth the mattresses are so damn tall here I will never understand."

OoOoOoOoOoO

"And you're _sure_ that's the experiment you want to work on?" Severus verified two days later as they left the post office.

"If I can cure Lycanthropy, who knows what else I can do," Sarah said firmly, "Besides, you created the Wolfsbane Potion for your experiment, and I see no reason for your student not to create the cure. It is, after all, the most honorable thing to do for you, sir. For those who like having a furry little problem and want to have that freedom can take the Wolfsbane, while those who want to be rid of it can use-use-use whatever I'm going to call it."

"You really will make a wonderful chemist," he said proudly as they entered the first apothecary they could find. "Excuse me, do you send American ingredients to specific locations?"

"You're from England, aren't you? Well, sure, that would depend on where you're shipping it to and the why, though sir, as for the cost," she said with a shrug. "What ingredients do you need?"

"I'm going to need at least two dozen of everything on this list," he said handing a list to her. "I'll need it shipped directly to Professor Silvana Snape at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Oh! No relation to the youngest Potions Master in all of Britain? Are you running errands for him?"

"I am he," Severus said simply, and her eyes widened. "Now, before we leave – Sarah, don't touch that or I'll ban you from the lab for a month for everything but your apprentice-ship – I will also need a textbook with all the _American _Potions Ingredients that England doesn't have."

"Of course, sir," she said quickly as she brought out a few textbooks from below the counter. "I always like to keep a stock for the new apprentices. Two copies of each one, sir?"

"Yes," Severus said quickly looking over his shoulder at Sarah, who had put her hands behind her back to keep from touching things as she browsed. "Now, how much do you know about Lycanthropy?"

"Lycanthropy?" the shopkeeper asked, shocked, "I heard that there's a massive outbreak in England, sir, because of the Dark Wizard that they call Voldemort."

"Don't say the name," Snape shuddered, "Even if he's been dead for ten years, it still doesn't change the fact that he is still the most feared wizard in all of Britain – aside from Harry Potter himself."

"I beg to differ, sir," Sarah piped up, "I'm sure any of your students will tell you that you're by far more terrifying than Professor Potter."

"Yes, thank you," Snape sneered as the shopkeeper giggled. "The answer?"

"Ah, yes," she said after a moment, "Well, if it's the saliva that forces the person to transform every month, then perhaps a potion that will expel foreign toxins from the body?"

"Of course," Severus murmured, "By getting rid of the saliva of the werewolf you get rid of the wolf inside the person. I should have seen that before when I was making the Wolfsbane Potion… Thank you."

"My pleasure, Mr. Snape," she said happily, awed, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, that will be all," Severus said quickly, "I've half a mind to kick my apprentice out of here _before _she destroys something," he smirked as Sarah wheeled around to protest loudly.

"Seven hundred galleons, twenty sickles, and five knuts is your total, sir," she said sheepishly, and he raised an eyebrow. "Unless, you would prefer Muggle money?"

"Ooh, I have a debit card!" sarah said quickly, "Would that work?"

"I'm afraid not, unless you went to an ATM nearby," she said shaking her head. "The total is about three thousand, five hundred and sixty nine dollars total in cash."

"Oh I've got plenty," Sarah beamed, "I'll be back!"

"Whatever parent spoils that child," the shopkeeper whispered.

"I beg to differ," Severus retorted, "You should have seen her when I picked her up. Literally eating out of garbage cans and bathing in the sewers. It took me weeks to get the smell off of her. I had to threaten her parents just to send any kind of money, and they responded ever so… _kindly…_ with kidnapping her and sending her to an asylum. She still hasn't been the same since, but strangely her parents have somehow come around…"

"Well, sir," the shopkeeper said shyly, "If your reputation is anything to go by, they're probably scared now that she's begun to pick up on a few of your habits. Rumor has it you keep a bezoar in your pocket at all times, as well as an anti-venom for Vol-_his _snake as well."

"The second was deemed useless after my only one need of it when it attacked," Severus shrugged, "It was killed a few hours later by one of my students with the sword of Godric Gryffindor. He is not as incompetent as I thought he was, but he is still a menace to society when he is in front of a cauldron."

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Well, that went well," Sarah smiled happily as they left the Apothecary a half hour later. "Now what do we do? I've depleted almost half of my money from my bank account, so I can't go shopping."

"That's where this letter comes in," Severus smiled, "I'm writing to Gringotts to tell them to transfer the amount of money that she specified from my vault into yours. Rest assured, I'm sure if you're polite enough to the Goblins they'll change it back for you."

"Or, we could trick my parents into giving me more money," Sarah smiled evilly.

"You are a horrible, horrible child," he said shaking his head with a smirk. "It's no wonder you were sorted into Slytherin. You'll drive your parents' bank accounts into the dirt before you're a mother, I'm sure."

* * *

Yes, he's acting like a dad right now, and he's feeling like one a bit, but Snape's _starting _to realize his true feelings for her. if in a long and roundabout way.

Review? Pretty please?


	29. Chapter 29

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"Merlin's pants," Severus muttered worriedly, "This bloody many… you could have warned me..."

"Sarah's back!" a few of the female teens yelled, and quite a few of the others rounded her into bear hugs. "Oh my gosh, it's so good to see you! Where have you been for ten years?"

"Abroad," she smiled, "Guys, I'd like you to meet Professor Snape, the Chemistry professor at the _private _school I go to."

"Wow, he's hot, is he a single?" one of the girls asked quietly into Sarah's ear. "That _is _a guy, right?"

"He's taken, but he has a little sister," Sarah whispered back vaguely. "But, shh!"

"So, erm, Professor," Sarah's second aunt said hesitantly.

"I would prefer the adults – or rather, the _parents _– to call me Severus," he said icily.

"You're the _male _Professor Snape?" Sarah's mother screamed out in shock as the two Slytherins smirked and raised an eyebrow. "How dare you sleep with my daughter, she's a minor for Pete's sake!"

"Is Pete someone I should be aware of?" Severus asked offhandedly, "And considering the fact that you never offered another sleeping arrangement, Miss Denning and I have been taking turns when it comes to sleeping on the bed and floor."

"You could have slept on the couch if you'd told us!" Sarah's mother shrieked. "Why didn't you?"

"I wanted to see your reaction," the two Slytherins replied amusedly with smirks, "And the fact that we're teacher and student as well as apprentice and mentor and boyfriend and girlfriend meant nothing to you?"

For the first time that Sarah could ever recall in a family reunion of her mother's family – which consisted of a grandparent, four sisters and two husbands, thirteen grandchildren with one married, two great-grandchildren, and most recently one Professor hopefully to be added into the mix soon– you could hear a pin drop and the clicking of the clock as though there were nobody else in the house. This was, by far, the most shocking thing that anyone in their family had ever heard.

"You're kidding, right?" Sam murmured terrified, "You're joking about that last one, right?"

"Again, we wanted to see your reactions," the two grinned evilly, and the Muggles surrounding them began to thaw. "We were just joking about that last one. We are still mentor and apprentice, however."

"How dare you!" one of Sarah's cousins screamed angrily, "How dare you get cozy with your _teacher _more than us! What are we to you, chopped onions? I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't think Sarah should be here until she's not on drugs anymore! Everyone knows magic isn't real!"

The rest of them began arguing heatedly as Sarah explained to Snape that she explained nothing to them and that what they knew was only from the reasons that she'd been put in the asylum. The two continued to watch in amusement, chuckling and volleying jokes back and forth about what the Muggles would and wouldn't believe. After about three hours, Sarah began to struggle to keep her eyes open and her brain from getting clouded. Dessert was served (not that it was anywhere _near _as good as Hogwarts' pies or treats) and the others had begun to reintegrate her back into their conversations every so often.

Without warning, her mind went blank and she felt herself falling with almost nothing to stop her. Severus, however, was lightning quick and raced over in enough time to stop her head from dashing the floor by catching her torso just under her bodice. He quickly turned her over and laid her out on the tile, putting his ear to her mouth to check her breathing. He counted the breaths and her pulse, and was able to quickly determine that it was simply her exhaustion catching up with her.

"It's alright, she's only fainted," Snape told the others, who had immediately raced to see if it was major and if a paramedic was needed. "It happens every so often. When you deal with as many eleven to eighteen year old students as I do, you learn how to catch a collapsing student and treat the cause properly and quickly. She just needs rest. Is there a spare bed I can place her on while she sleeps?"

"Sure, the door to the left of the bathroom at the end of the hall," one of the other aunts said. "Take as long as you need."

"Thank you," he said as he gently placed his arms under Sarah's torso and knees to carry her to the safety of the spare bed. "Rest well, little _hime_."

When Sarah began coming to her senses, she heard her Professor murmuring "Rest well, little Hime," as he ran his hands gently through her hair. She knew that Madame Pomfrey would just make her go back to sleep, though, so she let herself go back to the waters of slumber to wake up later on. She stumbled out of the bedroom an hour later, realizing what had happened and looking around for her Professor. She saw him conversing with Joseph, her second and peacemaking older brother, about the types of research he'd done.

"Miss Denning," Severus said protectively, "Awake at last, I see. You fainted and were away for an hour, but you'll be fine. I caught you before you could hit the ground."

"That probably helped," Sarah admitted, "Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me."

"I'm sure it does," he said gently, "I'd have done it even if it meant nothing to you. You _are _my student after all and the headmistress would be most displeased to hear that her favorite student received a concussion during a studying abroad trip while I was standing and doing nothing. She'd pounce on me like a lioness would her prey…"

"Nice metaphor, sir," Sarah smiled, "But I would think that Professor Potter is the alpha lion now. Well, guys, I'd love to stay and chat, but I don't want to risk fainting like that again. I'd best get back."

"What about your Christmas presents?" Sarah's three aunts asked incredulously.

"Give them to mom, she'll know what to do," Sarah promised before she and Severus left. As soon as the door was closed she turned to Severus. "I never want to do that again for a while. They're insane."

"Yes, and I do believe I owe you three homework passes," he murmured before apparating them back to the bedroom they'd been staying in for three days. "Now, the main question is do you want to pack a box of things to ship with us to England, or would you rather wait? Oh, they noticed we were flirting."

"Pack," Sarah said immediately. "We _are _leaving tomorrow, right? Since the airports will be less busy."

He couldn't help but notice that she was a genius when it came to American holidays and customs.

* * *

Okay, so in case you can't tell, I based her distant family off of my own because it's the only one I've seen. Her parents are a combination of the Dursleys and Snape's dad, and I tried to base her brothers off of both Dudley and her. Get it? Got it? Good. By the way, Christmas family reunions in my family really are like that, and they really reacted like that last year when I asked them what I'd do if I was to start dating one of my teachers.

Review? Please?


	30. Chapter 30

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

The rest of the semester passed uneventfully with the exception of the mass of pranks that were constantly being played, and the Marauders finally ended the prank war a few days before the Christmas vacation. To the Staff's delight, Sarah's artistic homework for Silvana began taking a lighter turn after her "study trip" with Severus. Severus' delight was that the "Antilycan" potion, as Sarah called it, was coming along a little better, but to no avail since they didn't have any test subjects to test the ten different potion variations they had now. Sarah's main stress bringer was her tests, and Severus' main fear was that her boggart would still be a Dementor. Harry had been startled by the fact, but wouldn't reveal anything at all to him. He swore he'd blackmail the Potter head until the Gryffindor finally caved in.

Sarah, Severus, and Silvana's ultimate prank was what finally won the prank war. The trio had, willingly, begun singing "To Life" from _The Fiddler on the Roof_. It had been more than just really funny, it had been hilarious to see what Severus and Silvana looked like drunk, and the drink she had had given her cheeks a slight red twinge, but since she acted like that normally it didn't affect her attitude and so the trio was willingly able to act like a bunch of deranged hooligans. Luckily for them it had been done on a Friday night, so they were able to sleep in.

Severus had been acting as Lazor Wolf, while Silvana had been acting as Tevye. The only difference was that they kept referring to Sarah as her normal name instead of Seattle, and instead of referring to her as Silvana's daughter, they referred to her as her student. Naturally, when it came time to get all the other men involved in the song, the two staff members dragged a good number of the staff members, as well as a few of-age students they could trust, into the drinking fun. Right in the middle of it, Harry stood up on top of the Gryffindor table and began ranting in perfect Russian, only to have the others repeating it after him in a while and then to go back to the chorus.

The trio had split the money, and Sarah had given her share to her Potions Master to pay him back for letting him humiliate them all. Once the vacation started, Sarah began thumbing through the recently-arrived textbooks that Severus had purchased in the states. Silvana, meanwhile, was getting a steady stream of Potions Ingredients which she was then taking down to the dungeons and put in her brother's private stores and properly labeled. Sarah was having the hardest time trying to find the right mixture of ingredients, and began looking at them all and the properties that they would all take. Severus was enraged, and Sarah soon saw why: Fenrir Greyback had somehow broken out of Azkaban in his werewolf form. She shuddered involuntarily at that news.

Christmas day was an eye-opener for Sarah. She'd received ten presents from her entire family, and was counting out who did what. One from each aunt and their household, one from each of her two brothers, one from her grandfather, one from each of her parents, and the remaining two were extra presents that they all pitched in to buy for her. She laughed at most of the gifts – each aunt had gotten her something special from their own past times with her. Her oldest aunt had gotten her the remaining volumes in the _Naruto _series that she needed. Her mother's younger sister that was the elder had gotten her a new dress that looked like it was from the renaissance. The youngest aunt had knitted her a green sweater with a silver snake on it. She smiled before pulling over her head just in time to see a black sweater with a silver snake on it for Severus from her aunt as well. She snickered before turning back to her gifts. Her parents had gotten her a set of knives, a set of shuriken, a long black dress (which they said was for making Potions in), and another long, elegant, silver dress with green floral patterns on it. Severus raised an eyebrow in shock as he looked at the dress just before she dashed away to try it on.

"I look so stupid, don't I?" she blushed embarrassed as she stepped out of her room to find his jaw slack as he stared at her.

"Beautiful," he whispered. "I've never seen anyone so beautiful in my life…"

"Not even Lily?" Sarah asked unsure, and he nodded. "Oops, looks like it's breakfast time. Shall we go?"

"May I escort you to the Great Hall?" he asked as he held out his arm to her like a proper gentleman and with a triumphant smirk on his face.

Sarah simply blushed and nodded as they made their way to breakfast, both happily unaware that what they were doing was her parents' intentions. The few remaining students, and there were about twenty of them, stared at the feared dungeon bat as he led the most beautiful being they'd ever seen into the Great Hall.

"Whoa, how'd the greasy git get the beautiful maiden?" one Gryffindor whispered into their neighbor's ear.

"I _think _that's the Denning girl that went unsorted for so long," the Hufflepuff whispered back.

"Damn," the Ravenclaw from across the table hissed. "She looks like a bloody Geisha from Japan! How the crap is that be paid for on a teacher's salary?"

"My parents are loaded," Sarah told them off from down the table, "_That's _how I can afford to look like this. And for the record, I'm happily taken."

"Oh yeah, sure you are. By who?" the Gryffindor retorted.

"By the Dungeon Bat," she smirked just before the other students all began choking on their eggnog. "I love doing that, don't you, Severus?"

"Indeed, I look forward to that next year," Severus smirked. "I'll explain later, just eat. Would you like to borrow my sweater so you don't ruin your Kimono?"

"Yes please," she blushed as he removed his knit sweater and helped her into it. "Thank you. Itadakimasu!"

"Itadakimasu," Severus whispered before they dug into their ramen noodles, which seemed to have a peppermint flavor for him. He did, however, notice that Sarah's was the flavor of her father's homemade ramen, which he made a note to get the recipe for later.

They finished eating in relative silence and managed to get literally all the remnants of the school coughing and sputtering (teachers and Silvana included) when they started joking, flirting, and eventually in Sarah's case, jabbing sexual innuendos, which Severus immediately started shooting back as compliments. The headmistress finally expelled them from the Great Hall since she thought they were drunk off of eggnog. Severus laughed as they went back to their quarters with Silvana in tow.

Naturally, they were acting the hyper way that they would have as the Marauders. Thus, when they got back to their quarters, they turned back to their presents. Sarah looked at the gifts from all the teachers who had gotten her something. Ron had gotten her a book on Quidditch, Hermione had gotten her a homework planner, Harry had gotten her a set of homework passes that were good for his class for any ten homework assignments, Silvana had gotten her a Tae Kwon Do uniform with a black belt, and the headmistress had gotten her a large amount of chocolate, which Severus had warned her about eating too much of at once. She smirked as she saw the shocked look on Severus' face at her gift for him – a watch with a moving picture of the two of them together inside.

"It's crappy, isn't it?" Sarah murmured before Severus pulled her close to him in a hug.

"It's wonderful," he whispered, "I've never gotten anything like this from anyone… thank you. But… there's something that I wanted to give you in return, with your permission…"

"Anything," she said, her eyes lighting up. He fished a protection amulet, a very, _very _powerful one, out of his pocket. "Oh! Of course! Here!" she turned around, lifting her hair up for him.

"Thank you," he whispered as he fastened the clasp. "That makes me feel better, but, it's not the only one. It has a sister. Here," he said, turning her around and placing a bracelet on her wrist.

"They're beautiful, Severus," Sarah whispered as she looked at the various charms, "But, why all this trouble for little old me?"

"I'm older than you," he reminded gently. "The snake charm is a portkey that will activate when I summon you. The bells will chime when you are in danger from a Death Eater or Unforgivable curse from anyone. The cauldron will give me a bit of a head rush when you're about to lose your temper and take it out with violence. The wand will alert me if you are in danger from a Muggle and can't fight back. and please, I think we're to the point that I feel that you can call me Sev if you like."

"It's wonderful, Sev," she whispered as she flung her arms around him. "Thank you so much! I'll never take them off! Unless…"

"They're charmed against water," he smirked as he put his arms around her. "You won't have to take them off to shower if you don't wish to."

"Thank you," she blushed deeply as they both secretly wished that the day would never come when the two were needed.

* * *

So Snape is starting to figure it out. He's _starting _to figure out that it's more than just a schoolgirl crush that she's got on him.

review?


	31. Chapter 31

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students and teachers for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

Another newspaper clipping, so you'll see some more italics

* * *

"Well, that went well," Sarah sighed a few weeks later, "Now I just need a test subject…"

"Rumor has it that Greyback is in Hogsmeade," Harry said jogging up. "Anyone care to join me in rounding him up?"

"Actually, Harry, Miss Denning and I will need to round him up for an experiment we're doing," he smirked evilly. "However, we appreciate the offer. Would you care to tag along in case we need help?"

Harry grinned before the trio headed down to Hogsmeade. Valentines' wishes were in the air, and all three could feel it. Sarah smirked as she spotted the werewolf just before sundown. What the trio didn't realize, however, was that it was the night of the full moon. Sarah smirked as she passed him before slinking into the shadows of an alley. Severus and Harry were walking back towards the castle, unaware that they'd left her behind, and also unaware that Greyback was behind them.

"Ello, Traitor," Fenrir growled into Snape's throat. Harry spun around wildly. "Don' move or the bastard gets it."

Harry froze as Severus was forced to remain perfectly still as the werewolf underwent his transformation. The two wizards were frozen in horror as the wolf went to bite down on Severus' neck, but were astonished at an arm that intervened. It choked the wolf from behind just before it writhed around to bite its owner, who protected him- or herself with their left arm. Greyback snarled in anger and rage before Severus and Harry managed to stun him and render him immobile. It was only after the wolf was securely bound and was under the effects of enough dark binding curses of Harry and Severus' combined work that they turned their attention to the now-bleeding, and infected, rescuer.

"Sarah!" they cried out in shock as Severus swept over to her still frame. He immediately began checking her vitals, and breathed a sigh of relief until he saw her left arm.

"Oh god… oh god no… she was bitten," he murmured horrified as he held up the offending bitten left arm.

"We'd best get them back to the castle, before another one comes along," Harry said quickly, "I'll get Greyback, you carry Miss Denning to Madame Pomfrey."

Two hours later, Severus was pacing unnaturally in front of the rest of the staff and explaining, or rather, panicking while telling his story, of what happened to the rest of the staff. There was an audible gasp heard from all of them as he described her blatant rescue of his life, even at the cost of her own blood purity. He immediately stopped, and cut open his arm, pronouncing in front of them that he owed Sarah a life debt that he would endeavor to repay or would die trying. Silvana shuddered as she watched her brother made the vow, knowing that he really would do so for her. She had, after all, saved his life, and nobody had ever done that for him before that was a female. Not even her or her mother had saved his life, or even stood up to their father for him for that matter, and they'd been the only loyal ones he had known. Lily had ended up betraying him harshly by marrying his worst enemy, and then bearing a son that was identical to said enemy, who Severus ended up having to rescue time and time again.

Poppy Pomfrey entered the staff room and held her hands up to stop the tirade of questions. She explained that while Sarah was fine mentally and emotionally, she was more worried about her Potions Master than herself at the time. Severus shook his head at the stubbornness of the teen before he realized that she was worried about him, even though she was now a werewolf and nobody else had worried about his health and safety while they themselves were injured or bedridden. It stabbed him in the heart, and he swore to protect her as best he could from then on out.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted," Poppy said cutting into Severus' reveries, "Miss Denning is perfectly sound. She was bitten, yes, and that means that Severus will have to brew the Wolfsbane again every month. Also, she mentioned that Greyback was in the castle, would either of you care to mention that?"

"We have him under ten different locking and keying spells," Harry assured her, "We have him _extremely _tightly bound with chains on his ankles, wrists, neck, waist, and head. We have also confiscated all weapons and magical artifacts from him, and have made sure that there are three very thick doors and walls with passwords that can only be done in Parseltongue."

"Well done, Mr. Potter! Such extensive protection! Whatever will you do now?" Silvana teased.

"Actually, Miss Denning and I are attempting something and we have ten different Potions to brew. We would like to test them out on Greyback, but we're not sure how well that would work…" Severus said quickly, "It involves removing a foreign contaminant from inside the tissue."

"Why not try it with marsh gas on trees first?" Hermione asked, and Severus looked over at her and gave her a don't-let-one-good-idea-that-I'll-use-go-to-you-head glare (glare #23). "I'll take that as a good suggestion on my part."

"We'll see," Severus snarled before sweeping out of the room to go test his potions.

Two days later, Sarah was finally waking up from the potion-induced coma. Severus had made sure that he would be there to let her know that he was alright, while Harry had gone out to the edge of the forbidden forest to test out their different potions one by one, making sure to keep a detailed map of which tree had which potion, and keeping detailed records as best he could for Sarah's sake since she _had _saved his and Severus' lives after all. Silvana had been in the hospital wing as well to make sure that her little student didn't try to bite her big brother's head off.

"Professor?" she murmured groggily. "What-what happened?"

"What do you remember?" Severus asked worriedly.

"Um, we were going to Hogsmeade to look for test subjects and found Fenrir Greyback…oh no… oh Slytherin no… I-I was bitten," she said looking at her left forearm. "Oh, Slytherin, this is horrible! I'm a monster! How can you put up with me, Professor? How can you keep a ruthless killer werewolf in your classroom? How could you let me survive? Why didn't you kill me when you saw I was bitten?"

"The answer to all of those questions is very simple, Miss Denning," Silvana said calmly, "My dear brother was able to recognize that by attacking Greyback to save him, you opened yourself up for attack and gave he and Professor Potter time to stun and disarm him. Severus even declared that he owed you a life debt in front of the entire faculty, which is _not _something to be taken lightly, Miss Denning. You didn't just save Severus' life that night, Miss Denning – you saved dozens of lives. He'd already attacked one person right out of the transformation gate, he'd go on a man-hunting spree had he been permitted to continue and you not intervened."

"We've already spoken with Minister Shacklebolt," Severus said quickly, "He's given us full permission to do whatever we want to Greyback since he'll just be getting the kiss should he go back to Azkaban – he felt that it was fitting for the bastard to at least be of some use to our research. He's appalled, you know, at your actions. Everyone is. It was all over the Daily Prophet."

"What?" Sarah shrieked, jerking upright suddenly in her bed. "Let me see."

Severus silently handed her the newspaper from that morning. She immediately began to read.

**_Apprentice Saves mentor's life_**

_Sarah Denning, a seventeen year old teenager, who is in her Seventh year at Hogwarts, has once again managed to outdo herself in her devotion to her beloved Potions Master of Hogwarts, Professor Severus Snape. As you all know, Fenrir Greyback was on the prowl, but he is no longer – the two have managed to take him into their custody and have received Minister Shacklebolt's permission to use in an experiment of some sort for a potion Denning is brewing._

_"Greyback would just be receiving the Dementor's Kiss when he returned to Azkaban anyways, I thought that I'd reward them by giving them a test subject since they seem to have a desperate need of one and they continued to insist adamantly that they wanted Greyback for the job," Minister Shacklebolt stated calmly when approached about it. "They are all still in Hogwarts but Greyback is under Professors Snape and Potter's very careful watch, and the only way to get into the room he is in is by speaking a password, which I've been told is in a very rarely understood foreign language."_

_"Yeah, I locked Greyback in the school dungeons, but there's no way for him to escape – not when I've made the password in Parseltongue," Professor Harry Potter, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, said proudly when approached about it. "The only regret that I have is not being able to stop him from biting my companion…"_

_Denning, who was protecting Professor Snape as Greyback brutally attacked him, put herself in harm's way to protect her beloved mentor. As Greyback lunged to rip Snape's throat out, Denning began choking the werewolf bravely as she clung onto its neck while riding its back foolishly. She was, however, twisted off to the point that Greyback was able to bite her left arm, infecting her._

_Snape and Potter were able to then stun the transformed werewolf and the latter drug him back to the castle while Snape checked Denning's vitals and apparate her to St. Mungo's for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Both Professors, who Denning had been valiantly and foolishly protecting, are completely on edge, and Snape was reported to be more of his usual menacing self in Potions class by his students over the past couple days. For more Details See page 9_

"I'm going to kill that bitch," Sarah said darkly, her eyes gleaming with hate, "First my childhood, then my teenage years, now my lycanthropy? Who the hell does that bitch think she is? I'M GOING TO FUCKING BLOODY KILL THAT USELESS MUDBLOOD WHORE OF A SLUT!"

"Oh, Merlin help us," Severus whimpered, looking at Silvana. "What do we do?"

"We? It's your fault," she giggled in fear, "You do it."

"I hate you, Silvana, you owe me big for this," Severus growled before turning to Sarah. "Miss Denning… Sarah, I'll need you to calm down for a while. Skeeter will get what is coming to her, I promise you, but right now you need to stay calm and to not get out of bed. We can plot more death schemes for Skeeter and Umbridge later, I can assure you."

"Fine," she grumbled angrily before immediately beaming like a lighthouse. "Of course! Peeves! Oh Peeves! I have a job for you."

Peeves the Poltergeist was soon heard swooping and whooping throughout the castle to look for his "mistress" and to wreak havoc upon whoever had incurred her wrath. When he finally swooped into the Hospital Wing in front of her, he was grinning like a madman.

"How may Peeves be of service to the most genius of Serpents?" he said bowing lowly.

"I need you to haunt someone," she smiled, "Do you remember that horribly dressed Defense Teacher from a few years ago by the name of Dolores Umbridge? Yes, same treatment to her, only… there's a bit of twisting I'll need to do. I'll also need you to haunt a woman by the name of Rita Skeeter who seems to like making my life miserable. Now, here's what I'll need you to do…"

SDSDSDSD(**Sev PoV**)SDSDSDSDSD

I don't pity Skeeter at all right now. Merlin's bloody blue balls I'm sure glad this girl's honored me with permanently remaining on her good side. If this is what it's like to be on her bad side, then Merlin help us all the day that I am forced onto that side of the fence.

To be honest, I don't think I'd survive and would die of lunacy.

SDSDSDSD(**Silvana PoV**)SDSDSDSDSD

Oh. My. God. This child is a genius!

Using Peeves to get revenge is one thing but the things that she'll be having him do… horrible! Just outright _horrible_! My god, I'm so glad that I'm her friend and not her enemy. If this is what she'd like, then holy crap we're in trouble. To not only control Peeves but to get him to bow to you and obey your every whim – he must think that she's a Goddess of Pranks or something. Merlin's pants, this girl's using their own wolf head to bite their own tails and rear ends with things that they've done!

I'll tell you one thing, this girl scares me, and I don't even want to know what she did with her parents.

SDSDSDSD(**Both Snape PoV**)SDSDSDSDSD

Oh god, she used Peeves on her parents to force them into being nice!

Fucking shit! We're all screwed! Call the Bloody Baron!

* * *

Yes, they panic. Why? Because she was able to do that in her sixth year, and she's now in her seventh year, and her parents are lunatics who hate her. if she can get peeves to scare them into being super, super nice to her, then let's think for a minute about what else she can do with him. Anyways, I'm glad to be able to use Peeves – it gives this kind of a fun feel when I do get to use him or a prank war.

Review? Please? The best suggestion of what should happen to Skeeter and Umbridge will be used!


	32. Chapter 32

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

What confused the hell out of the people in the Daily Prophet was that Rita Skeeter was slowly, ever so slowly, unraveling. She'd sent out articles about her writings concerning the Golden Trio and taking back all the lies and slander that she'd written about them, and had even tried to take her novel, _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore _off the shelves. Snape's book was removed from the editor and given the title of publisher and editor to Sarah, who left it alone and decided to go back to it later in the year. She'd begun dressing half-hazardly, often coming to work with missing assignments or lacking important items for the day. To be frank, it was scaring the hell out of everybody in the Daily Prophet workstation.

Umbridge, meanwhile, was experiencing the same thing, only with the Ministry and Minister himself. She, too, was now scatterbrained, and more afraid than ever of things that went clip-clop. To be honest, even two sets of books dropped in a similar fashion would send her screaming like a banshee down the hall, with her words of apologies to all half breeds and magical creatures in general piercing every ear that would hear them. Severus was in half a mind to pay a visit to her house to see what Peeves was up to, but he instead settled for Legilimency on the ghost and retrieved the memories from himself later to bottle and put in a penseive. Severus and Sarah burst out laughing as they later went back and viewed the memories alongside Harry, Silvana, Luna, Hermione and Rocky.

Skeeter was sitting in her drawing room, trying to write out new articles for the Daily Prophet and failing miserably. Peeves was hovering and taunting her, constantly saying that her writing was worthless, and that the quick-write quill was a waste of money and was getting her more enemies than readers. With a pop, he became Hermione. She immediately began chanting things that she held over Skeeter's head at every hour – her illegal animagus form, the articles that she knew was a bunch of lies, the hatred in the school at Harry's revealing what had truly happened between he and Hermione, which had been absolutely nothing – and Skeeter began to shoot back before getting paler.

"You worthless pile of shit," Peeves said in Severus' form and voice, "You're a terrible author and an even worse publisher. Potter is an arrogant bastard, but the way you treat people is so vile that it's by far worse than what Voldemort has been doing."

"No! Please, I'm not as bad as he-who-must-not-be-named, I promise," Skeeter began begging desperately. "PLEASE!"

"That's what I said when you were printing lies about me throughout the TriWizard Tournament and me being as bad as _him_," Peeves said in Harry's voice after changing into a teenage version of the Defense Professor. "Now look at you – a scrounging, groveling mess who can't even spell her own name right, let alone pick up a quill properly. Now, what anti-writing curse do I want to use first? Hm…"

"NO, PLEASE" Skeeter begged desperately, "I'll do anything! Please, just don't ruin my reputation!"

"Oh, your reputation will be ruined by the time we're done here, bitch," Peeves said as he replicated Sarah's body and voice. "Voicing my lycanthropy is the last thing you might see with your own two eyes before I eat them during the next full moon alongside your liver and spleen."

Skeeter's bloodcurdling screams were heard for Muggles in surrounding London for a few miles.

Umbridge, a few hours later, was in a disheveled state in her kitchen. Barty Crouch, Sr. was standing in front of her repeating "You should have seen what my son was doing" numerous times.

After the tenth time a loud _crack _resonated and Crouch Sr. was suddenly Cho Chang. "I must not disobey the Ministry," she repeated tonelessly while rubbing her right hand with her left.

Twenty times later, another loud _crack _was heard and Cho Chang was suddenly Justin Finch-Fletchley who was repeating "I must not practice spells illegally" while rubbing his left hand.

It was after another ten times that Justin disappeared with a very loud _crack_, louder than all the others combined, and the form of the current Harry Potter stood in front of her powerfully, his green eyes filled with hatred and anger. He was brandishing the Elder wand at her while chanting "I must not tell lies" and flexing his left hand angrily. Peeves decided to keep this form the longest and remained here for thirty repeats of the phrase.

With another loud resounding crack he became a centaur brandishing an arrow at her menacingly and she fainted just after letting out a bloodcurdling scream. The faculty and Sarah all laughed at this and left the Penseive, leaving Severus to fill his sister and his apprentice in on the meanings of Peeves' torture of Umbridge. Harry, meanwhile, had raced to his office and began writing letters to the members of Dumbledore's Army that were still alive. Most of them were still alive, and he even managed to tell them that it had been Sarah and Professor Snape who had sent Peeves after Umbridge and Skeeter. He sent his new owl, Hermes, off with the letters, knowing that he would go in order and find the most economic route to take. He didn't dare tell them that it was all Sarah – he wanted to keep the fear of their Potions Master.

Two days later, owls were swarming the two of them, and they stared at all the letters they were receiving. Most were from the DA, but there were some that were from people that the DA members had trusted and bragged to. Fred and George Weasley had even sent them letters with moving pictures of them bowing to a home-made Snape statue. Sarah had laughed her head off at that, a first since her scuffle with the werewolf Death Eater. Her left arm was in a sling for a couple more weeks, but she eventually managed to get working up to par again.

Come the first full moon, though, Severus had her in the dungeons in the same classroom as him with the Wolfsbane Potion made to perfection. She drank, and luckily for the two of them, she was able to get full control of the wolf, nipping and biting herself when she was tempted to bite her mentor. When dawn came, she reverted back to her human form, her eyes drooping wearily.

"I've seen worse," Severus assured her with a smirk, "I'm proud of you, my little wolverine. I'll give you a pass to let you out of class for such a job well done."

She smiled before ambling up to her rooms wearily and collapsing onto her bed. He shook his head as he walked into the Great Hall to get a mug of coffee. The staff room was unnaturally filled, and all wanting news of his night with Sarah. He explained how well she'd taken charge of the inner wolf with the help of the Wolfsbane Potion he'd brewed, and even mentioned that he'd felt safe enough to stay in the room alongside her all night long. The only time she'd gotten close enough to bite him had been when she'd received a very sharp kick to the nose, which had sent her reeling backwards and whimpering away from him.

"So does this mean you'll be her leash for when she's under the effects of the Wolfsbane Potion?"

"Weasley, do shut your mouth," Severus retorted angrily, giving Ron his best I'm-Tired-Now-shut-up-before-I-hex-you-to-death glare (glare #33). "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I've got Potions Classes to oversee…"

"Severus, take the day off," Minerva said firmly. "Potter, can you take Silvana's classes today so that she may take Severus'?"

"Of course, headmistress," he said with his eyes alight. "It's not a problem at all. Will you teach Defense?"

"Indeed, I shall," Minerva said while shooing Severus to his quarters.

"Sarah," he said as he saw her on his couch, "Next year, you should be Miss Moony instead of Miss Tipsy so that people don't suspect you. You are, after all, a werewolf, and as was the original Moony."

"Of course, Mr. Slick," she smiled as he went towards his room, "Miss Moony recommends that Mr. Slick goes to get some sleep before he drops off the face of the" yawns "earth like Miss Moony will soon."

Severus was dead to the world as soon as his head hit his pillow with him still in his full teaching robes from the past twenty-four hours.

* * *

So Sarah finally gets the privilege of driving Rita Skeeter and Dolores Umbridge mad. So, yeah, Snape was watching her to keep her safe from everyone else, although if anyone asked him, he'd tell them it was to keep them safe from her since he was attacked three times by a werewolf.

Review!


	33. Chapter 33

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

The following months fell in a very similar manner, with Sarah looking more and more unkempt each month. Her research was making her constantly tired, and Harry was giving happy reports about their success with one of the potions that she had brewed. Severus and Sarah had kept such detailed records of their potion and each attempt that it wasn't hard to recreate the potion and try it a few more times before the end of the school year. Sarah's Potions Apprentice-ship was temporarily put on hold for her NEWT exams, and Rocky began studying for his OWL exams. On accident, he'd gone into the room that Severus and Sarah had been in the month of the exams and he'd almost been bitten as well, with Severus chewing him out while making sure that Sarah's wolf form remained in a corner of the dungeon classroom. Rocky was then scarred for life mentally just as his guardian had been with the Marauders.

The group went back on the Hogwarts Express with heavy hearts, with a few of the students becoming daring enough to remain with Rocky and Sarah, most of whom were asking her what it was like to be a werewolf and to have Snape owe her a life debt. Sarah, just within an hour of reaching the Hogwarts Express, had blown a gasket and screamed her head off, ranting that if they were really desperate to know what it was like that she'd be happy bite them the next time she transformed. She also ranted that if they asked one more question about being a werewolf, she'd be sure to make their school lives hell once she became the Potions Mistress of Hogwarts and the students made a point to leave her alone after that point.

She ignored the blatant stares of the others and their parents as she left the train, with Rocky and their things in quick tow. She shrunk her things with a flick of her wand, and then shrunk Rudy's things with an angry huff. She hadn't taken the apparition test yet, but was more than ready to – she had, after all, been practicing behind the scenes on the days after the full moon. Severus meanwhile, had remained asleep until she splinched herself and he would then wake up with a jolt and race to heal her. She'd snorted and recalled how they'd made it so that a very startled Hermione had been the one to win the prank war this year with a wonderfully timed massive prank that brought the school together.

She smirked in recollection of the looks on everyone's faces when Silvana had announced each fighting exam in front of the Great Hall, NEWT students for last. What startled everyone was that Sarah was facing not one, but _two _of their Professors, and the two Snape siblings at that. Sarah's inner wolf helped in the fight, but as did her excellent fighting styles that she got off of _Naruto_ and other Anime shows. It hadn't been hard to fight Silvana, but to fight both was a task that she knew would be a terrifying exam that she would have to think hard about for victory. In the end, she went with the Hyuga style Gentle Fist against Silvana in the beginning and ramming Severus away for her to get more attacks in. Once Silvana was down and Severus a little weakened, she rounded on him and began battling him with Lee's typical style and then switched over to Kiba's. In other words, regular human attacking before switching to canine-human combination style was her methods of choice. Severus was knocked out cold in the end and Silvana had just enough strength left over to announce that Sarah had passed just before collapsing into a heap herself. Sarah had grinned in triumph before going back to the Slytherin table, where the students all remained staring at her in shock at her victory.

SSSSSS(**Sev PoV**)SSSSSS

"No, no, emphatically no, Minerva!" I yelled. How could she do this to me?

"And why _not, _you insufferable Slytherin, Severus," she challenged.

"I'm already Deputy Headmaster, I have an apprentice who is a werewolf, and said apprentice and I were still trying to cure lycanthropy. Not to mention the fact that I still need to train her to take over my position as Potions Mistress of Hogwarts!" I shouted angrily before realizing my blunder.

"Sarah is a… werewolf?" she asked wide eyed, and I sat down wearily. "How did this happen?"

"Do you recall the time that she was in the hospital wing after our trip to Hogsmeade accompanied by Potter? It was then," I explained wearily, and she stared in shock at me with tears in her eyes. "I've been brewing the Wolfsbane Potion every month since, and she hasn't attacked anyone since I keep her locked in a dungeon classroom during the full moon and remain with her to ensure her safety."

"Merlin's pants, Severus," Albus' portrait said with a twinkle in his eyes, "And you said _I _was dangerous for letting a werewolf on school grounds…"

"He wasn't under the effects of the Wolfsbane!" I retorted angrily, "Not a once was he ever under the effects of the Wolfsbane during the entire time we were at school! Why else do you think I developed it? I wanted people to be safe without curing that bastard of his lycanthropy! He almost killed me – _twice_, Albus, twice!"

"We know this, Severus," the two Gryffindor teachers of his said calmly, "We were your teachers, remember? And all that aside, you're coddling her like we did the Marauders."

"I'm doing no such thing!" I shouted in panic. I was not, I wasn't allowing her to nearly kill people! "I make sure that she doesn't get to prank someone who's depressed, I ensure that my classroom is extremely heavily warded so that nobody can come in or out of there during the full moon, and I moreover do _not _keep her out of detention – I've had her scrubbing cauldrons just like I would anyone else for the same things!"

"True, but you must still find a replacement Potions master while she finishes her schooling," Minerva said calmly. "You _are _after all the Headmaster."

"NO! NO I AM NOT!" I shouted angrily, before forcing myself to reign it in. "Minerva, give me one year to properly train her. One more year as your Deputy headmaster."

"No, Severus, I'm not as healthy as I once was," Minerva shot back angrily, "Dolores made sure of _that_."

"Yes, and Sarah and I made sure to give her hell for it as well," I let slip before her eyes widened and I smirked, "Yes, that's where Peeves has been all this year. He's taken a liking to Sarah for unfathomable reasons and I believe that he is willing to do anything and everything in order to please her. Much like Potter was willing to do anything and everything to please his need to play hero and further inflate his head."

"Severus!" Minerva cried out angrily, "Stop that this minute! You know that's illegal!"

"Perhaps a compromise," my portrait said calmly, "Let me remain as Potions Master and Deputy Headmaster, and making some decisions. Sarah will be watching over the younger years that are below their Ordinary Wizarding Levels, and during those times I may fulfill duties as Headmaster as you would please. When I cannot do so, I will be either teaching fifth, sixth, and seventh years or teaching Sarah what she needs to know."

"A wonderful suggestion, Severus!" Dumbledore's portrait said happily. "Minerva, I couldn't have come up with a better idea myself. Please take this option into consideration."

"Yes, please do," I said sourly as I stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a werewolf and ward to pick up from King's Cross."

I knew she hated how my cloak billowed out behind me, and so did everyone else. That was one reason why I loved it and made sure to keep it around – to annoy the hell out of almost everybody.

SDSDSDSD(**3****rd**** PoV**)SDSDSDSD

"Great," Sarah huffed as they sat down on a bench in King's Cross. Any and every witch or wizard they'd looked at in attempts to get help had blatantly ignored her or insulted her. "See, Rocky, this is why I need to make the cure. So that nobody gets treated like this. I mean, yeah, we'll need to keep them under Wolfsbane for at least six months to be sure that nothing happens and they can control the wolf, but after that they go back to being normal and not shunned."

"Sure, sis, whatever you say," Rocky grumbled, and she looked at him as though he slapped her. "You're a werewolf, I could _die _because _you _mess up one time on a full moon! You could turn me into what you are and not have any regrets! You think I want to be living with that threat constantly over my head?"

"You're all the same," she sobbed before racing out of the room and finally out to Platform 9 ¾, which was now completely empty.

"Sarah," Severus said calmly, "What happened? Who do I need to hex?"

"Everyone!" she sobbed as she turned into his robes. "They all look at me like I'm a monster! I know I am one every full moon, but I can't control that! Even Rocky told me to-to get away from him, and I didn't even do anything!"

"Well then, you can give him hell next school year when he's in your Potions Class," he smiled and she froze. "Sarah, the Headmistress has told me that I have to begin taking up more of the Headmaster duties. I need you to watch over the first through fourth year classes, and – if you want – the Hufflepuff-Gryffindor class for fifth years. You can continue studying the Potion effects otherwise, and I'll cover for you during the full moon. You still can continue your apprentice-ship, and as soon as you get that Potion patented, I'll declare you a Potions Mistress."

"I'd-you'd really do that?" she sobbed, pulling away to look him in the eyes. "Wait, Hufflepuff-Gryffindor Potions Classes? I thought it was Gryffindor-Slytherin!"

"Yes, I'll do that for you," he said as he gently cupped the sides of her face. "And I'll even stay with you every full moon until you push me away in your human form. And I really did mean it when I said you could make Rocky's life a living hell in class. Give him the most complicated Potion out of everyone you can. I decided it would be best to ensure that there is less chaos between the two. You recall the issues from Mr. Hunter's and my school days with both houses constantly at war. I still have to punish Draco."

She could do nothing but stare at him in awe and gratitude.

* * *

So Snape's showing his protective side to Sarah while trying to prove to her that he loves her more than just as a daughter or sister. She, of course, is oblivious and is still head over heels in love with him. Okay, I know he's being more of a father figure for her right now, but that'll be remedied, I promise.

Reviewers get virtual candy!


	34. Chapter 34

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

The summer holiday was a startling mixture for Rocky now – he no longer wanted to stay with Severus since Sarah was a werewolf. Thus, Silvana remained at Spinner's End with him while Severus apparated Sarah back to Hogwarts and directly into their classroom. She began thumbing through his lesson plans, and looked at them all. Not a one thing was out of place, she noted, and he smirked and shook his head. If she wanted to follow his curriculum, then she was welcome to go ahead and attempt it but to alter the plans later on when she felt the need. This was, after all, her first year teaching. The summer passed, and it came time for the next full moon. Severus locked Sarah away tightly in the dungeons classroom with Harry keeping an eye on her from across the room as he, the Potions Master, began to complete the experiment on Greyback.

Finally, just after midnight, Greyback began to seize violently. His wolf immediately was forced out of his body after three long minutes of nonstop, extremely violent seizures, and Severus stared in horror at the large black wolf in front of him. It snarled at him before he cast a powerful warding charm on himself. The wolf turned to Greyback at the sound of his laughter and immediately began to attack him. Severus seized this opportunity to flee the room and lock it safely behind him.

The next morning was a very stressful one for the trio. Sarah was sleeping peacefully on the sofa in Snape's quarters while Harry was watching the expulsion process of the wolf through Severus' proxy and a penseive. He shuddered violently before waking Sarah to show her the memories. She, too, shuddered at the memories, and began to write an extensive detailed report at her findings and theorems. When asked, she grinned evilly.

"It's easy, really," she replied as she finally completed her report, "Greyback allowed the wolf inside him to rule him, run rampant, and gave it a powerful blood-lust with no thought for trying to tame it in any way. Thus, when the wolf was expelled, it retained the habits and wildness he fed it. Ultimately, he reaped what he had sown, but if I'm not mistaken, if we used the experiment on someone who _tried _to keep their wolf under control as best they could in every way possible, we might be able to get this to work and ensure the wolf doesn't attack them."

"Seems logical enough," Harry said finally, "But where are we going to get a werewolf like that?"

"Hello, sitting right here," Sarah said like he was a blind fool. "I'm sure so long as both Severus and I are there, my wolf won't attack anyone. I think we should try it next month."

"I think we should wait until you've had at least six months of it," Severus countered, "After all, Greyback had had more than enough time, but you'll need time to fully tame the wolf within. In the meantime, perhaps a different test subject who would fit the criteria? Perhaps a slight test on Bill Weasley to cure him of his wolf-like tendencies?"

"Let's try it," Sarah agreed happily turning back to write a letter to the redhead.

SDSDSDSD(**Two Days Later**)SDSDSDSDSD

"Professor Snape, I must say it's an honor to be able to help you in curing Lycanthropy," Bill said as he entered Severus' office. "And is this Miss Denning?"

"Yes," Sarah said holding out her hand. "And it's actually me who's creating the cure. The Professor has just been helping with the experimentation part since I'm a werewolf now, no thanks to Greyback. Who, might I add, met the ultimate ironic end that fits him."

"Oh?" Bill asked looking between the two Potion Makers. "What happened?"

"Her potion worked," Severus said calmly. "However, the wolf that breaks free of the werewolf host takes all its instinct and wildness that the human gave it."

"So since Greyback fed it lots of human flesh and let it run wild, it ultimately killed him," Bill said, and the two Slytherins nodded. "Yikes. That won't happen for you, will it, Miss Denning?"

"Please, call me Sarah," she said shyly, "And no. Severus and I have been keeping extremely close tabs on my inner wolf and making sure she doesn't go bonkers. And have been making sure that nothing happens on the full moon with the help of the Wolfsbane Potion."

"So, why not test it on yourself?" Bill asked, and the two looked at each other.

"Well, there's a theory," Sarah said at last before launching into her theory and the one that Severus had brought up.

Bill remained quiet all throughout and raised his eyebrows in shock at the idea. He sat contemplating for a bit before nodding.

"I'm nervous, but I think I can do this," Bill said at last, "Fleur will be happy that the wolf side of me is gone, and I'm sure mom and everyone else will be, too. Maybe Ron will quit being a prat now, eh, Professor?"

"When the Apocalypse comes, William," Severus said dryly as he set lunch on the table. "Eat. We'll need all the strength we can get if we're going to do this properly. We'll begin an hour after lunch."

An hour and a half later, Bill was strapped up to the dungeon wall with Severus, Sarah, and Harry looking on. Harry frowned and shook his head as he left the room and locked and warded it behind him. Sarah hesitantly fed Bill the potion in small increments of half an hour until finally he'd received the needed dosage. The results were almost immediate. Bill began spasming, gasping and growling in pain. Within minutes however, a canine looking version of him was also in the room alongside them, growling in anger.

"Give it an order," Snape snapped.

"No! Sit!" Bill said firmly, and the canine version of him whimpered and sat down in the corner. "I-You-Merlin's pants! You did it! You've cured me! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Please, no life debt," Sarah begged, "I've already got this one owing me one, I don't need another!"

"I understand," Bill said as he eyed his professor, who was undoing the chains. "Sarah, if there's anything, anything at all that we can help you with, please, please, for the love of Merlin – don't hesitate to let us know! We are forever in your debt!"

"Well, you said no life debts, but this will be quite interesting to see," Severus snickered as he finished undoing Bill's chains. "William, we're going to have to ask that you keep this quiet. There are still two more tests that we need to run before I can help Sarah fully patent this potion."

"Of course, I understand," he said gratefully before leaving the dungeon, "What should I do with-with that thing?"

"He'd make a very handsome throw rug," Sarah said imitating a movie, and Severus gave her a you-can't-be-serious-you're-joking-aren't-you glare (glare #13). "But just think, whenever he gets dirty we can take him out and beat him!"

"Sarah," Snape scolded gently before whistling to the canine-human. "Hm… perhaps I can get in touch with Kingsley and he'll be able to help us… after all, every werewolf must be taken note of in the Ministry and for how long. Perhaps we can get some help there from him for our next two before we finally test it out on you…"

"Yes, let's," Sarah smiled evilly before shooting a binding curse at the canine version of the Weasley male. "Should we keep it in the Chamber of Secrets?"

"A wise decision," Severus said as they got to the lobby level. "Potter! Get out here!"

Harry was there since he was staying a few weeks late to make his plans before the school year started, but so he could spend more time in the fall with Ginny and the kids. Bill's cured because Sarah first brewed the potion using Felix Felixis. It's illegal, but it's technically a loophole since she didn't use it on a werewolf her first time – she used it on a tree, and was simply copying down the notes onto parchment so that she could use the instructions later.

* * *

So, what do you think Sarah's wolf will look like?

Review to find out!


	35. Chapter 35

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"You want what now, Severus?" Kingsley asked appalled, and the Potions Master sighed heavily.

He was forced to go into an account of all of Sarah's theorems, giving the Minister the sheets and observations that Sarah had had, including the one about Greyback's death in his own handwriting, and the explanation of her absence for the day. Not that Kingsley would need that last part, but he did so anyways. Sarah was, after all, sleeping during the day so that she could transform peacefully that night.

"Very well," Kingsley caved, "_However, _I am going to have to emphasize that you do this on a _volunteer basis _only. There is _one _criminal in Azkaban who has been a werewolf for less than six months, and I will be willing to give him to you alongside a list of everyone who is a werewolf. You'd be surprised at some of the ages on the list, Severus. or rather not, now that Greyback was back on the loose for a few months."

"Thank you, Minister," Severus said warmly and giving Kingsley a rare and genuine smile. "Sarah will be most please and grateful for your help. Would you like my assistance getting the Death Eater to my dungeons so that I may properly observe?"

"That would be wisest," Kingsley said as he tapped a piece of parchment and duplicated it for the professor. "Here, Severus, the list. Meet me at Hogwarts in an hour."

"You again have our many thanks, Minister," Severus said before apparating back to his rooms to give Sarah the good news.

Sure enough, he had about eight hours before Sarah would transform and there were was even a child on the werewolf list that was also on the Hogwarts list – he decided to pay this particular werewolf a visit first. When the woman opened the door, he introduced himself kindly and asked if he could see the child in question. When he was finally able to speak with the child, he told the child that he was needed to try to cure the werewolf problem. The child, however, was angry and accusing him of thinking him a freak.

"No, child, that's not what I'm saying," Snape snapped, "What I'm saying is that my Potions Apprentice has created a cure – don't worry, we've already tested it out and it works just fine. However, the only way for the potion to properly work is if you've been trying to keep your inner wolf under control. You see, the werewolf we originally tried it on was killed by his inner wolf. I'm sure you remember the wolf that bit you?"

"Yes," the child said sourly, "What about him? Daddy says Fenrir Greyback is a murderer and a Death Eater."

"And he was," Severus said, "Your papa's a good man. However, it was because of his blatant lack of control over his inner wolf that Fenrir Greyback is now dead because of the potion. You, however, are a very smart boy and are able to control the wolf within you, yes? From what I understand from your records, you're kind, smart, protective, and have a very close bond with those who you deem your 'pack' members."

"What are you saying?" the boy asked, "Get to the point."

"What I'm saying child," Severus said patiently, "is that I believe that my apprentice's potion will work perfectly on you since you've likely been doing your best to control the potion. You see, I've already tried it a second time on someone who was bitten by Greyback during the _daytime_. It expelled the offending wolf-like symptoms in the form of a canine-looking appearance of the man. However, due to the man getting control over the wolf symptoms, he was able to control the wolf-man without any problems. In fact, the wolf-man is still locked up and safe. I believe that you've got the same inner strength that he did."

"So, you want me to see if controlling the wolf within will permanently rid me of it with the help of your potion?" the boy asked, and Severus nodded.

"The wolf is automatically expelled by the potion," Severus said calmly. "Your control over the wolf determines what it will do once it is out of you. I'll tell you what, I'll even give you fifty galleons if you help us."

"No," the boy said shaking his head, "Your apprentice – Denning, right? She's a werewolf, too, isn't she?" Severus sighed and nodded. "Okay. Why not try it on her?"

"We can't," Severus said calmly, "We aren't sure how it will work for someone who hasn't been a werewolf for six months at least. We've enlisted a few others to help us out with containing each of the wolves tonight – Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter, Horace Slughorn – to name a few of them."

"I want Harry Potter in the room with you and me if I do this," the boy said immediately. "Can I, momma?"

"Since you'll have two Wizards with you, yes," she said, "But! I want to be there for my son."

"Very well. Grab my arm, I'll apparate you there," he said calmly, and her eyes widened. "What? The headmistress gave me power to apparate on school grounds since I'm Deputy Headmaster."

"I'll get to see Hogwarts? Wicked!" the boy said grabbing Severus' arm tightly. "Come _on_, momma!"

"Hold on, let me write a note to your father," she said quickly as she wrote out a quick letter to her husband and left it on the fridge. "Alright. Let's go," she said as she grabbed his arm and he apparated them there.

"Whoa!" the kid yelled in shock as he looked around. "Where are we? What part of the castle are we in?"

"This is the Great Hall," Severus said calmly, "this is where you will be sorted into your house and where you will be eating all of your meals. Now, were we need to go is in the dungeons, which is where the Potions classes are held, and where my office is."

"Cool!" the boy said as he happily tagged along.

"Sarah! Let's go!" Severus said banging on his office door as he passed. "Expecto Patronum!"

Five large snakes erupted out of his wand and the boy cried out in shock and asked hyperactively what they were.

"Patronus Charm," Severus said calmly, "You'll learn about them in your sixth year. Now, snakes, go get Granger, Potter, Weasley, Horace, and Poppy. Tell them I've got the two test subjects. Go!"

The snakes slithered off just before Severus explained what a Patronus charm did, and what it protected him from. He immediately rounded everyone up for dinner, a weary and blood-shot eyed Sarah included, and they all gathered around the table.

"So, Severus, I take it this kid is the other one you were talking about?" Minerva asked.

"Yes," he said, "Little one, this is Headmistress McGonagall, she'll be in charge of the school. And yes, I mean the _entire _school. There's a lot of work, so that's the reason for a Deputy Headmaster – or Headmistress – and the four heads of houses."

"Or, in last year's case," Ron said cutting in, "There were _two _heads of houses for the Slytherin house. Greasy bat over there who was just talking and his insane wife!"

"How often must I tell you? She's not my wife, she's my _sister_. Get it right, you dunderhead Weasley! I thought I managed to teach you something in all seven years I taught you, but obviously not! Thank Merlin Granger has a brain at least, because you'd be _hopeless _without her!" Severus shot back angrily with Harry watching the scene unfold warily with a smile. "Wipe that stupid grin off your face, Potter!"

"Yes, Professor," he said sheepishly. "A word of warning for you, kid: if the Professor has a last name of Snape, don't make him or her angry. Trust me, you'll have house points docked or detention assigned before you can say Quidditch. Trust me, I'd know – I put up with Dungeon Bat here for seven years."

"yes, and I kept saving your life over the course of them," Severus retorted. "I may be a greasy git and a dungeon bat, but that doesn't mean I don't take my teaching duties seriously! If I hadn't been as harsh as I was, there wouldn't be any students at Hogwarts because you all would have kept blowing yourselves up! If you don't believe me, ask Longbottom."

"Professor Snape makes a point, Harry," Neville cut in, "If he hadn't yelled at us all those times and thrown fits at us and vanished our potions when they were going to explode, we'd all be dead by now. I think you recall that I blew up no less than two cauldrons a week, six on my really bad ones."

"I'm surprised I kept you alive, Longbottom," Severus growled before digging back into his food.

"Severus Snape what on earth are you doing?" Silvana shouted, and he looked up at her and gave her a it's-none-of-your-business-so-bug-off glare (glare # 54). "Don't give me that look! This has everything to do with my business, and you'd better explain why you've got a first year in the castle before he even has his wand!"

"He's for the werewolf test," Sarah said simply, "And I think you're forgetting that he's the older sibling here, Silvana."

"Thank you, Sarah," Severus said proudly, "See, Sil? I have a reason for everything I do; even Sarah knows it by now. Now stop doubting your older brother's logic and start eating."

"Well, you ready for the big test, kid?" Sarah asked gently, "Who do you want to be in the room with you when it happens?"

"Um, Mr. Potter, Mr. Snape, and my mom, if that's alright with you, ma'am," he said shyly. "Is-is that okay?"

"Sure, no problem," Harry agreed, "Not at all, I'd be happy to help you through this and be a backup! But, I'm afraid that Severus won't be able to. you see, we need powerful witches and wizards in each room. Severus, and Hermione are the two strongest that I can think of, and there's three wolves that will be here tonight."

"Hey! I'll be taking the Wolfsbane!" Sarah objected loudly, "That's not fair!"

"Both of you, be quiet," Severus snapped angrily, "Now, Potter makes a good point. Here's what we're going to have to do…"

* * *

Okay, so things are getting to a bit of their own accord. Werewolves weren't originally in my plot ideas, but I just had to add it in to give Sarah some troubles. Also, I needed something dramatic to do to Sarah.

review!


	36. Chapter 36

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"Will it hurt?" the witch asked as she watched Severus pour out small doses of the potion into tiny vials. "What about all those potions?"

"It's the same one, ma'am," Harry said calmly, "If I'm not mistaken, Severus is separating it out for me in the increments I need to give it to him and only the amount needed so I don't screw up."

"Exactly," Severus smirked as he finished his task. "Alright, Potter. That should work. You'll start it at eight and keep going every half hour until it's gone. Keep an eye on the wolf, understand? Don't let it attack him, but let him try to get dominance over it verbally first. If it goes to attack him, you stun it. if it obeys his order to sit in a corner, you leave it be and let him do what he wants with it. Understand?"

"it it attacks, I stun. If it obeys, I leave it alone," he verified, "Potions are to be taken every half hour until gone."

"Correct," Severus smirked. "Looks like seven years of schooling has finally taught you how to listen to me."

"Greasy git!" Harry called out after him as he left to give the same lecture.

"Severus," Hermione nodded sharply as he entered the room that she and Horace were in. "What do I need to do once I've gotten the potion all the way into him?"

"You can read?" Severus asked by wandlight, and she nodded as he handed her a rather long roll of parchment. "Good. Here are the instructions, do _not, _under _any _circumstances whatsoever stray from them in any way. If there's trouble, send me a Patronus, as I'll keep an eye on Sarah. Wolfsbane isn't perfect you know, she still gets a little out of line."

"Of course," she said as she lit her wand to read the instructions that he'd left her.

"Professor," Ron gasped as he looked at Bill's animalistic urges manifestation, "What is that? Why am I in charge of watching it?"

"That is what the result of your brother taking the potion is, Weasley," Severus sneered, "We wanted to see if it worked on him to expel even the slightest bit of werewolf in him, and this was the result. Your brother healed while this thing is locked away. I believe that a familiar face will help keep it in line, so I chose you. Do try not to get killed by being a dunderhead. Good luck."

"No, wait!" Ron cried out as he went for the door that Severus had slammed behind him. Snape quickly warded it, keeping the redhead in there until a life or death situation arose. "Don't leave me here!"

"Send a patronus if it tries to bite your head off, but only then," Snape called through the door before walking over to the room Sarah was in to give her the Wolfsbane.

"Ready?" Sarah asked nervously, "Do you think it'll work?"

"I don't know," Severus said calmly, his insides churning. "I hope that boy will be alright – he _is _one of your students, after all."

"Oh!" Sarah gasped as she realized why he had chosen that specific boy. "That's ingenious! Preventing another incident like your own with Remus Lupin by getting rid of the wolf within before he even arrives at school! That's brilliant, Severus!"

"What's brilliant is your Potion making," he smirked before kissing her just as the clock struck eight. "We have four more hours until they transform. Would you like to join me on a little stroll outside?"

"And you said Hagrid was dangerous," she laughed before she drank the entire large goblet full of Wolfsbane Potion. "But yes, I'd like that."

"Well then, let's," he smiled, leading the way outside.

The night passed, and Severus and Sarah were enjoying the hot summer air on Hogwarts grounds. She decided to swim in the lake before the Giant Squid tried to kill her, so she swam to shore and shook herself to dry off, getting Severus just as wet as she was. She gave him a wolf grin before pushing him into the lake with her back legs. He landed with an almighty splash and spitting out the water that had gotten in his mouth before glaring at a laughing wolf in front of him.

He gave her an evil glare and smile before beginning to chase her around the grounds, before a familiar Stag Patronus appeared before them.

"Everything's fine, the wolf is out," it spoke in Harry's voice, "He wants to see you, Severus and Sarah."

"Come," Severus grinned before they raced back through the dungeons. He almost wouldn't have stopped at the door if it hadn't been closed. Instead, he put his hands out and rammed into it full speed eagerly. "Potter! You sent the bloody Patronus now open this door!"

"Coming, sir," Harry said before opening the door for his ex-Professor. Severus immediately came in, tripping over Sarah's wolf form, both of them looking around.

"No! Go to the corner!" the first year yelled at the wolf, but the wolf's hackles were raised angrily, even if it was very young. Sarah let out a low growl before letting loose a few angry barks and it immediately went to cower into the corner. "Whoa, how'd you do that? Were you a werewolf, too, sir?"

"No, young one, this is Sarah's," Severus said patting his leg to make her return. "The Wolfsbane, as you probably know, allows you to control your wolf form. Congratulations, little one, you're the first werewolf cured with this potion to survive. The other one… well, you know. Sarah here hasn't been a wolf for six months, and so we're waiting for her to hit that mark."

"Wow," the kid said excitedly, "Mom, can I bring him to Hogwarts? Please?"

"That's up to the Headmistress," the witch said sternly.

"Actually," Severus stepped in, "The headmistress has told me that I am to take over some of her duties this upcoming school year. I am, however, going to update the rule about familiars. Instead of the students only being permitted to bring a cat, an owl, or a toad, I am going to permit them to bring any _non_-deadly familiars with them. You'll understand more when I send out the letters in a few weeks. I will say, however, that I believe that as long as the wolf stays outside or in your common room, it _should _be allowed to stay. I will need to talk to the headmistress about it, though."

"Would you? Oh, thank you so much, sir! How can we ever thank you enough?" he asked excitedly.

"Hm, perhaps by being a good little boy and not breaking the rules and by doing all your homework and as best you can?" Snape shot back with a smirk, and the boy nodded eagerly just before his final chain restraint was removed.

"I will, I promise!" he said as he ran to give a tight hug to the oldest wizard in the room.

"Good," Severus said calmly, "Now, why don't you stay here for the rest of the night and go see Madame Pomfrey? Potter, care to escort him? I need to check up on Horace and Granger. Sarah, come!"

"Of course," Harry said as Severus swooped out of the room with Sarah's paws making click-click sounds behind him. "Come on, kid, let's go show her what you can do now! I'm sure it'll be a lot easier for you to do your checkup now than it will be once you're sorted! Heck, I can even show you the bed there that I managed to occupy at least once a year, if you want."

"What?" the boy cried out in shock as Severus snuck into the room Hermione and Slughorn were in.

"How is he?" Severus asked, and they shook their heads.

"No good – the wolf came out, but it mutilated them both. I don't think they're going to-going to…" she began sobbing, pointing across the room.

"Bloody hell," Severus murmured, his stomach becoming suddenly close to losing its contents. "I-Kill it! kill the useless bastard! Merlin, it smells like death! Oh, god!"

He ran out of the room like his life depended on it, his robes billowing behind him. He raced past the student, turning into the room that Sarah had gone into for comfort and immediately started getting sick into one of the cauldrons. He heard the two other wizards and the witch approach behind him with the wolf, but paid them no heed. After a long bout of nausea, and forcing an anti-nausea potion down his throat, Severus joined the trio on their way to the hospital wing. This time, however, he was on wolf-back since Sarah decided to let him ride her.

"What happened? Did it work?" Poppy Pomfrey panicked with Minerva sitting down nearby.

"Success for this little guy," Harry pronounced happily, "We just need you to do a checkup, Poppy. I think Severus might need one, too… he was wretching into a cauldron just after checking in on Hermione and Horace."

"Oh, no," Minerva said shocked, "It won't work until after they've been a wolf for six months?"

"That's correct, Minerva," Severus gasped, holding his stomach. "Both human and wolf were so mutilated… it was worse than looking at Voldemort, and that's saying something…"

"What?" the others all yelled in shock.

"Tell me everything," came Kingsley's voice from behind them. "I want to know everything."

* * *

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

Snape didn't do it for the kid – he wanted Sarah's familiar there as well, and to get all the students' complaints about not having familiars there off his back.

Review? Please?


	37. Chapter 37

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

It took a couple of hours, but Severus finally managed to get control of his stomach. While he was working on it, though, the young soon-to-be first year told of his exploits in the room with the small child who'd gotten control of his inner wolf, having proved Severus and Sarah's theory correct. Once he was done, the Minister looked at Harry who nodded a confirmation. Severus finally got control of his stomach and told of his own memories of the monster in the room that Hermione and Horace were in, but described it as so horribly mutilated that it could literally do nothing but sit or lie there and growl angrily while being covered in rotting flesh. Minerva pulled out a penseive and Harry showed the Minister his memories. Severus then followed in suit, with the child finally being the last one to prove that he'd done so willingly.

"Well, everything seems to have been worked out and as has all the quirks of the Potion," Kingsley said business-like, "Sarah can send me the potion, her findings, as well as all of her study notes and notes that you all helped her with during the full moon. Given a couple more weeks after that, she can have it patented and become the youngest Potions Mistress in all of Britain. I must say, Severus, you've trained a prodigy!"

"Thank you, Minister," he said proudly, his very posture and countenance now oozing pride at his apprentice, "I took great pride in watching her work. I knew if anyone could cure Lycanthropy, it was her once she set her mind to it. She is terribly stubborn and won't quit on a task until there is literally no further option left."

"I look forward to helping her patent the potion," Kingsley said, "Now, if I may, can I get the group of you to all give your accounts to the Daily Prophet once it happens?"

"Of course," Harry and the small ten-year-old said happily. Severus grudgingly complied, on the stipulation that it was almost anyone but Rita Skeeter writing. Or rather, that _he _chose the writer to interview him, and that he got permission to screen the article before it was ran.

"Naturally, you'd want your privacy, Severus," Kingsley smiled happily, "I will relent. I will also try to get it in circulation while the school year is in session to keep your admirers at bay."

"That is very much appreciated, Kingsley," Severus said relieved. "I had more than enough problems the last three times my name was all over the front pages, as you'll recall."

Two weeks later, Sarah was preparing to send in her reports and a copy of her potion. She stopped short, realizing how easily anyone and everyone could have stolen her work. She frowned, and instead decided to speak with them herself. she quickly dressed in dress robes and stepped into the Floo Network. As soon as she reached the Ministry, she was shepherded into a large containment center and questioned under Veritaserum. She told the truth, of course, and turned in her papers. To her shock, Harry and the small child arrived, as well as Ron, Bill and Hermione Weasley, Horace Slughorn, and finally the small boy's parents. Each one of them were questioned in accordance to their involvement in the experimentations, and the rest of the Weasley family was shocked to hear what Sarah had done for Bill, with Fleur and Molly gasping and crying for joy and relief. After what seemed like years, everyone had testified except for Severus. He, however, was not questioned since he had been giving the Minister frequent updates and the Minister himself vouched for the former Death Eater's honesty. Sarah remained quiet and terrified, her mouth run dry and her throat tight and sore with fear.

"Sarah Naomi Denning, please stand," Kingsley said, and she hesitantly walked forward, looking fearfully into his eyes. "We, as the Wizengamot, have reached our verdict. We hereby grant you your patent to the Lycanthropy cure, alongside all of its research and necessary documentation and stipulations for use, and we hereby grant you the verdict of not guilty of murder, for which Greyback's family was trying to sue you for. We are sincerely grateful for your honorable contribution to society, and wish you the best in your future as a Potions Mistress. We also grant you permission to use this as your final test to become a Potions Mistress, and leave the remainder of your time and dealings to your Potions Master and Mentor, Severus Tobias Snape. This meeting is now adjourned."

Sarah stood in shock at his words, staring at him as though he'd just spoken a foreign language. Luckily, there was only one reporter there, who'd gotten records of all the testimonies of all of the witnesses and Sarah. Severus immediately rushed forward, putting his arms around her and granting her full permission to do as she pleased with whatever areas of study she wanted to do further during the final year of her apprentice-ship. He squeezed her shoulder gently and congratulated her, with the two happy families in her debt holding back. Severus immediately told them to meet them the next day once the initial shock wore off, and the Weasley family nodded before apparating away. The small family of three was grinning widely at them, the young first year racing up to her. He tugged on her robes gently, and she looked down at him, startled.

"Thank you for curing me," he said as he hugged her tightly. "I've wanted this for years, and now that I have it – I don't know what to do with my full moon anymore!"

"Have you ever considered," Sarah whispered but Snape cut her off with a glare. "Never mind, forget I said that. I look forward to having you in Potions Class. You're most welcome, and I thank you for volunteering to be my test subject – I really couldn't have done it without your help. Thank you."

"I think that makes us even then, right?" he asked, and she nodded before Severus apparated them away to Hogwarts. This next school year would be very, _very _interesting.

When dinner rolled around the next day, however, Sarah was still in shock. She seemed to need constant verification that she wasn't dreaming or hallucinating on what Kingsley had said to her, and Severus finally got tired of her pestering him and brought her into a rough kiss. He held her tightly to him, gently requesting permission with his tongue. Sarah relented, and the two were soon in a battle for dominance, which Snape naturally won as he managed to cause her to get weak-kneed with a tiny twinge of force upon her hair.

"Do. Not. Doubt. Me. Again," he growled into her ear, and she nodded dizzily. "Good. Now, dinner."

She stared at the two clans in front of her, unsure of what to do or say. Severus smirked, having taken the head seat since the Headmistress so blatantly left it wide open for him since Sarah _was _still the apprentice to him, and looked around before clapping and making the food appear. Silvana was there as well, with Rocky (who was grumbling and constantly glaring at Sarah as though she'd sprout a canine muzzle momentarily), while the tiny soon-to-be first year was happily asking his soon-to-be Professors what subjects they would teach and what house they were affiliated with.

Sarah, meanwhile, was morose, and rarely talked throughout the whole meal, and was rather aloof. Her mentor took note of her gloomy expression, and was quickly shooting Rocky a fix-your-attitude-before-I-fix-it-for-you glare (glare #36). Rocky shot him back one, before almost firing off another Unforgivable curse. He refrained, though – he remembered what had happened last time he had. Rocky, still fuming, stood up and left, much to the confusion of some of the guests, who looked to Severus for answers. He waved it off, and the others all went back to their meal. Sarah suddenly bolted upright before racing to the dungeons, and Severus froze. Her wards must have gone off, meaning that the animal side of Bill had gotten out.

"Rocky!" he shouted angrily. "Wait until I get my hands on you! The rest of you, stay here and don't leave this room until I give you permission – we've got a canine on the loose. I swear, she should have just _killed it _but no, she wanted to _train _it!"

Severus raced through the dungeons, not knowing where it was. Rocky was smiling and happily guiding the canine form of the wolf out of the castle. He cast a disillusionment charm on himself and the wolf, sneaking it out of the front door. The two began to make their way to Hagrid's hut before the boy finally realized that he'd left Sarah behind, and didn't know where she was.

"Sorry, big guy," Rocky glared as he looked over his shoulder to find his guardian racing towards him, "I don't want to, but I have to. Avada Kedavra!"

There was a yelp and the wolf version of Bill crumpled to the ground lifeless.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking?" Severus yelled angrily as he jerked his ward back into the Great Hall. "You could have _died_, you could have let that thing _free,_ you could have possibly been turned into a werewolf because of that thing! We don't know what powers it hand, and now we never will because of you! What. The. Bloody. Hell. WERE. YOU. THINKING?"

"Get rid of a threat," Rocky said with a shrug, before Sarah raced in with the Animal-Bill in tow.

"I got him!" she grinned triumphantly. "Such an obedient omega…"

"You-how-what?" Rocky sputtered.

"Transfiguration," Sarah shot back, "I did so on a dying canine that smelled like death and looked worse than it. worked quite well, too, since you never noticed the difference. No, this big guy was hidden in a different classroom. I've been changing this guy's classroom every day."

"You-you-you!" Rocky stammered angrily.

"Bitch?" Sarah asked with a smirk, "Why thank you. Alpha bitch of the Hogwarts werewolf pack, at almost nobody's service."

"Genius," Severus said smiling. "I love you. Merlin's beard, woman, I have just one thing to say to you."

"Oh really? What's that?" Sarah asked hyperactively.

"you should marry Snape," Ron yelled out, "Considering you've been shagging him for a better grade!"

The Snape siblings paled further as Sarah fainted onto Severus in shock.

* * *

Okay, I know Sarah's fainting probably is a bit overdramatic, but keep in mind she is already still in shock from being made a Potions Mistress, Snape saying he loves her, Ron saying she should marry Snape, and the fact that she's having hormone issues at the time (well, sort of. Stress puts hormones out of balance sometimes, doesn't it?)

Review, please?


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: bold is the main lyrics and italics is the backup. I will tell who is doing which character is which voice. Thank you, and I do not own any of the music in this. It it's both bold and italics, then both are singing at the same time.

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"That's horrible, Ron!" Harry shouted angrily smacking the back of his best friend's head with a Defense textbook. "Look what you did! She could have died if Severus hadn't caught her!"

"So? Good riddance!" Ron laughed before the rest of his siblings bombarded him angrily.

Fleur, Molly, Hermione and Ginny raced forwards to help Severus only to stop cold as they saw him carry her bridal style to her chair. McGonagall immediately transfigured a spare chair into a sofa for him, and he shot her a thank-you over his shoulder as he gently laid her down. the other females in the room watched warily as Severus knelt down and began whispering into her ear.

Suddenly, Sarah's eyes shot open, and a howl of agony ripped through her as she howled out in pain and shock. The wolf side of her wanted out, and Severus had to work to help her restrain it to keep it from killing Ron. Silvana laughed at the thought of Ron getting his face ripped off by a werewolf, and Severus smirked madly at the thought. After about five more minutes of whispering into Sarah's ear, both the Slytherin Potion makers were calm, and Ron was still getting verbally assaulted by his brothers, sister, and his in-laws.

"Wait, what's today?" Sarah asked groggily, "What day is today?"

"Um, it's the thirtieth of July," Harry said warily. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Sarah said happily, "Sev, can I send my kaa-san a letter telling what I've accomplished?"

"Of course," he said warily, "But, ah, what exactly is there to tell? You do realize that they won't want you nearby until you drink the cure."

"So?" she laughed, "Or, better yet, I've got a better messenger. Peeves! PEEVES! WHERE ARE YOU, PEEVES? I NEED YOU!"

"She actually needs _Peeves _of all people?" Charlie asked, questioning his ears.

"No, you heard right, Charles," Severus assured, "She called for Peeves. Hm, that's odd. He's usually to be heard swooping around by now… I'll go find the Bloody Baron and see what he can find…"

"Hey, don't forget to go find-mmph!" Ron called out before Harry clamped down on his mouth and head with his elbow covering Ron's mouth. Sarah immediately began racing out of the Great Hall and up to the Astronomy Tower.

"Don't mind him, Severus! He's being jealous because he doesn't think his wife is as smart as your apprentice!" Harry called out.

"Actually Potter, Sarah managed to get all Outstanding in her NEWT exams," Severus said calmly looking back in. "Don't tell her I told you that, I want to see the look on her face when it comes in the mail."

"Oh, wow," Silvana said shocked, "Strong in Muggle Defense, as good as my brother at Potions, as good as Harry at Defense, able to stay awake during Professor Binn's classes – is there anything Sarah _can't _do?"

"Have sex?" Ron said before Harry rammed his head with the textbook and his brothers all sent stunning spells after him.

"Baron," Severus said as he saw the Slytherin ghost, "Have you seen Peeves?"

"No, actually, which is rather odd," he said thoughtfully. "I haven't seen him all school year. Why? Has he done something wrong again? do I need to get him back under control?"

"No, no," Severus said quickly, "Sarah was just looking for him. She wanted him to start causing mayhem abroad and to share the wealth, as the Muggles put it."

"Ah, I see," he said narrowing his eyes. "I shall tell Peeves when I see him next of your request."

"Thank you, Baron," Severus said before entering his rooms. "Hm, now if I were Peeves, where would I have gone?"

"Severus I can't find him anywhere!" Sarah cried out exasperated as she entered in breathlessly. "he wasn't in the Astronomy tower, so I don't know where he is!"

"I hate this," Severus snarled. "Damn it, this is so wrong! But…"

"But?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow in a very Snape-like manner.

"Sarah? Do you remember the day I watched you fight the boggart in Defense?" Snape asked, and she nodded warily. "You said – and I quote – 'Eye candy, Volturi. Rock Candy. Toxicroak.' What exactly did you mean?"

"The same thing, sir," she said blushing. "I'd almost forgotten about that."

"Would this have anything to do with that 'snakes and their habitats' comment?" he asked harshly, and she looked towards the floor and blushed a very deep crimson. "What in Salazar's name has gotten into you?"

"You," she whispered and immediately wished that she hadn't.

"Ah," Severus said at last, "I see what this is. You're afraid of letting me know how much you really care, aren't you?" she nodded ever so slightly. "Hm… How shall I put this?"

"Sir?" Sarah squeaked before Silvana's voice could be heard throughout the grounds.

"Yo, big brother! Sarah! Get your butts down or up to the Great Hall! Kareoke time!" her voice rang out amplified.

"I'll tell you later," Severus said as they went out to the others. "Sorry, there was no Poltergeist Peeves to be found. Now what is it that seems to be in such dire need of our attention, Silvana?"

"It's not exactly what _I_ wanted to say, Sev," she said calmly, "Molly, Ivy, which of you wanted to talk first?"

"I will," Ivy said calmly, "I remember being your student professor Snape, and I, like the rest of them, misjudged you wrongfully since you were a former Death Eater. I apologize for my rash and foolish actions, and I would also like to thank you and your apprentice for healing my son and curing him of his lycanthropy. That was the only thing my husband and I have ever been wanting for him since he was bitten by Fenrir Greyback seven months ago."

"Severus," Molly began, "I'm not sure how to word this, and I ask that you please bear with me, as I know you are not a patient man by nature. Arthur and I, we-we owe you so much, just like we do for Harry. Well, with Harry we tried to repay him every summer, but we just didn't know how to for you since you like your solitude. With you, it-it started when Bill was in school and had somehow managed to get Dragonpox in his fifth year. You were the one who caught it and were able to treat his symtoms and to save him from dying from it, Severus, as not even Poppy was able to be so industrious by staying with him twenty-four seven while he was sick. You weren't even his head of house, either, and took care of Charlie when he caught it as well. Luckily the others caught it soon after before it was too late and would become fatal. That was why we wanted the younger ones to be contaminated with it, you see. I-I'm sure you don't need to be reminded of all the trouble all of my children got into…"

"Molly's right, Severus," Arthur cut in. "And I'm sure you recall the trouble Harry got into with the TriWizard Tournament and Ron made a mess of himself and Harry. I saw how he used Gillyweed, did you give it to him? Either way, it saved his and Ron's life, as well as Fleur's little sister. And then the next year with the snake venom from _his _snake – that was brilliant work, Severus. You really did do your best to uphold to both of your masters' wishes, even though it was hard for those next two years. Most especially when you were helping him while he was on the run and you had no idea – for the most part – where he was. Severus, Molly and I, we are eternally indebted to you not just for watching over our children when we couldn't, but for working for teaching the prodigy who would cure Lycanthropy."

"Thank you," Severus said at last, "For that. Both of you. I'd say I was happy to do so, but that would make me a liar since it drove me to madness at the time for the most part – especially for the Golden Trio."

"I vould also like to zank Sarah for healing my Bill," Fleur said sweetly, "It is good to have him normal again."

"Not at all," Sarah smiled, "Now, Silvana, did you say something about Kareoke? How did you know that was one of the pastimes I missed doing?"

"Lucky guess," she smiled, "Severus! Why don't you go first? Pick something romantic, Merlin knows you need a little romance in your gloomy life!"

"I, Severus Tobias Snape, declare that my apprentice, Sarah Naomi Denning, has learned as much as she can from me and is worthy and ready of the title of Potions Mistress," Severus said changing the topic and turning to Sarah. "Sarah, do you accept the title of Potions Mistress?"

"I do," she said formally, and the magic seemed to envelope the two, their two contracts fading slightly and the bracelet aspect dying down. "I-What?"

"You're a Potions Mistress," Severus said with a smirk, "I knew you'd agree with whatever I said since you weren't paying attention. You are now an official Potions Mistress. I talked to Kingsley – apparently the law only states that the minimum is actually _two _years, but was only applicable if someone was smart enough and the Potions Master filed for it a few months in advance. As soon as everyone is sorted for next term, you are an official Potions Mistress. Minerva, I do believe that I might be able to let you retire this year, so long as I'm permitted to help Sarah for her higher level classes."

"Wait, if I'm teacher, does that mean I can assign all the detentions I want?" Sarah asked excitedly, "I-I can dock points all I want for tiny little things?"

"If that is what you want," Severus smirked, "Look at what I did. Ask them if you don't recall, but I'm sure you get the basics of teaching. After all, teaching potions will involve the three things you love to do most – potions, throwing tantrums and being bossy."

"Why thank you," Sarah smiled happily before realizing it. "Hey!"

"You know you like it," Severus smirked, "Shall I make you co-head of house?"

"No, leave that for Silvana this year," Sarah said sheepishly. "I'm good. I'd like to get used to teaching before I get used to being head of house as well. Just don't make me Deputy Headmistress – I'll die of embarrassment if I do."

"Silvana?" Severus asked, and the younger Snape groaned and started whining like a small child. "Hey, I'm headmaster now, I think… Minerva?"

"Yes, Severus is hereby headmaster," she said calmly. "You can now do whatever you want. Good luck getting past the board of Governors."

"I most definitely will," he smirked, "They're all still terrified of me since I taught the majority of them and they still recognize me. I greatly look forward to this upcoming school year. Things are going to get _very _interesting…"

"Can we do that Kareoke now?" Sarah whined just before Snape deadpanned.

* * *

I don't own. Anyways, I figured I'd give the Weasley clan a chance to properly thank the one who rescued Bill.

Review?


	39. Chapter 39

A/N: bold is the main lyrics and italics is the backup. I will tell who is doing which character is which voice. Thank you, and I do not own any of the music in this. It it's both bold and italics, then both are singing at the same time.

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

"Severus, you should do some Kenny Rogers!" Silvana cried out, "Please, Sev!"

"I think Sarah should do one first to show us how it's done since she's so excited for it," Severus said and Sarah jumped up and transfigured a table into a stage and a spare fork into a microphone that would amplify her voice. She flicked her wand at her IPod Touch and it immediately was amplified alongside her own voice, and a second flick made it run on magic instead of electricity.

"Okay, I'm going to be doing a song by Dolly Parton," Sarah chirped, "I'm sure you can figure out the name of it."

"Go Sarah!" Silvana cried out before Sarah tapped the screen of her IPod Touch.

_Jolene! Jolene! Jolene! Jolene!_

_I'm begging of you please don't take my man! _

_Jolene! Jolene! Jolene! Jolene!_

_Please don't take him just because you can!_

_Your beauty is beyond compare with flaming locks of auburn hair with ivory skin and eyes of emerald green!_

_Your smile is like a breath of spring, your voice is soft like summer rain and I cannot compete with you Jolene._

_He talks about you in his sleep and there's not much I can do to keep from crying when he calls your name Jolene…_

_And I can easily understand how you could easily take my man but you don't know what he means to me, Jolene…_

_Jolene! Jolene! Jolene! Jolene!_

_I'm begging of you please don't take my man! _

_Jolene! Jolene! Jolene! Jolene!_

_Please don't take him just because you can!_

_You can have your choice of men but I could never love again._

_He's the only one for me Jolene._

_I had to have this talk with you, my happiness depends on you and whatever you decide to do Jolene._

_Jolene! Jolene! Jolene! Jolene!_

_I'm begging of you please don't take my man! _

_Jolene! Jolene! Jolene! Jolene!_

_Please don't take him just even though you can!_

_Jolene…_

The Great Hall was silent as Sarah finished her song, with Severus staring in horror as he realized what she was feeling. She felt that Lily was, in a small tiny way, like Jolene. He paled as she had continued to sing, realizing the pain that had been in her heart and he swore he'd make sure to erase it and do something completely stupid at the same time. It would kill two birds with one stone, but very rashly. He mentally kicked himself for acting and thinking like a Gryffindor.

"I'm going to be doing this one, baby sister," Severus said showing her the screen, and she squealed in alarm. "Don't worry, I know I need a backup for this. Sarah, could you stay there?"

"Sure," she said shyly as he checked his pockets and different nooks and crannies of his robes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just checking on something," he smiled. "Are you ready?"

"You?" she asked as they both nodded.

**He works hard To give her all He thinks she wants. **

**Three car garage, Her own credit cards. **

**He pulls in late To wake her up With a kiss Good night. **

**If he could only Read her mind, She'd say:**

_**Buy me a rose, Call me from work. **_

_**Open a door for me, What would it hurt? **_

_**Show me you love me By the look in your eyes. **_

**_These are the little things _I need the most in my life. **

**Now the days have grown To years Of feeling All alone**

**She can't help But wonder what She's doing wrong. **

**Lately she'd try anything To turn his head. **

**Would it make a difference If she'd said:**

_**Buy me a rose, Call me from work. **_

_**Open a door for me, What would it hurt? **_

_**Show me you love me By the look in your eyes. **_

**_These are the little things _I need The most in my life.**

**And the more that he lives The less that he tries **

**To show her the love That he holds inside. **

**And the more that she gives The more that he sees **

**This is a story Of you And me**

_**So I bought you a rose On the way home from work **_

_**To open the door To a heart That I hurt. **_

_**And I hope you notice This look in my eyes. **_

'**Cause I'm gonna make things right For the rest of your life. **

_**And I'm gonna hold you tonight. **_

**Do all those Little things For the rest Of your life.**

Right as Severus began singing the chorus for the last line, he pulled out the necessary items from his robes – the flower, a small key to Spinner's End, and he made sure to lock eyes with her and to use wand-less magic to wrap the chain attached to the key inside the rose. When he sang "this look in my eyes" the final time, he made eye contact with her as he pulled out an engagement ring and opened the tiny box to reveal it. He knew he wouldn't need to ask verbally – she'd read it in him as long as he was thinking it enough.

"Yes," she whispered, "Yes, you daft man! Yes!"

"Wait, what was the question?" Ron asked confused at the same time as the first year. "What'd I miss?"

"Legilimency," Silvana laughed, "She must have used it on him and he must have let his shields down for the phrase to slip through! Nice timing, Sev! Wahoo, I get a sister-in-law! It's about stinking time you poo-ninny, Severus!"

"Shut up! No knocking my fiancée!" Sarah blushed embarrassed. "That was weird. Engaged without any dating… mom's gonna flip…"

"She'll get over it," Severus snorted. "Now, I do believe that it is time for a different duet? Erik and Christine, no?"

"Oh, you insane man I love it!" Sarah squealed. "Are you sure you want me to put Opera on? After what weasel did?"

"It wouldn't have made any difference if it were ferret," Silvana yelled, "DO IT! DO IT!"

"Phantom of the Opera it is, then," Severus chuckled quietly before shocking the Great Hall by singing the entire thing from beginning to end, never once messing up in the slightest.

_In sleep he sang to me in dreams he came _

_That voice which calls to me and speaks my name _

_And do I dream again? _

_For now I find The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind_

**Sing once again with me our strange duet **

**My power over you grows stronger yet **

**And though you turn from me to glance behind **

**The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind**

_Those who have seen your face draw back in fear _

_I am the mask you wear_ **It's me they hear **

_Your_/**My **_**spirit and **__my__**/**_**your**_** voice in one combined**_

_**The Phantom of the Opera is there inside **__my__**/**_**your**_** mind**_

_He's there, the Phantom of the Opera_

**Sing, my angel** _(Ah~!)_

**Sing for me **_(Ah~!)_

**Sing, my angel **_(Ah~!)_

**Sing for me!**

_Ah~!_

* * *

The songs, in order, are: _Jolene _by Dolly Parton, _Buy Me a Rose _by Kenny Rogers, and of course _Phantom of the Opera, _by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the musical genius. I don't own any of them. Although I do frequently wish that I owned _The Phantom of the Opera _and _Love Never Dies_. I just have to settle for owning a copy of the movie of the first one and a copy of the music for the second one.

Anyhow, I know Snape's getting _extremely _OOC, but he's partying tonight to celebrate. Anyhow, he'll only get more and more OOC from here. Don't like don't read – just kidding, please keep reading, it's what's keeping me going in life right now.

Please review. It literally is the highlight of my day to look at what few reviews I get, past or current. No lie.


	40. Chapter 40

I don't own Harry Potter. The Muggles and Sarah, I own, unless you recognize the name from Harry Potter. I also created a few students for my pleasure to give myself something to work with.

* * *

Jennifer Denning stared in shock at the letter that an owl had delivered from her daughter mere days before her daughter's birthday.

_Dear Mom and Dad, July 31, 2011_

_Well, it's official. I'm a Potions Mistress! I managed to cure Lycanthropy, so long as the person has been a werewolf for more than six months and if they have tried to get control of their inner werewolf. I was bitten by our first test subject, but will be taking the Potion I created later this month to cure myself – I have had Severus' undying love and help throughout this huge mess, and he has even been staying awake with me the nights of the Full Moon to help me get control of my inner wolf alongside keeping an eye on my brewing the Wolfsbane Potion. The Wolfsbane Potion allows a werewolf to keep their human state of mind and control as they transform into the wolf. _

_I tried the experiment on a criminal who'd been a werewolf for five months, but it didn't work – the wolf was expelled from him like it was supposed to, but the duo were both transformed into monsters that resembled rotting corpses. I wasn't awake for it – I was able to watch Severus' memories of it. I almost wanted to puke, and he actually puked inside of a cauldron a few times after he saw the duo. I've already been getting mail from fans who are thanking me so profusely for my help in their cure and wanting instructions for use, so I ended up writing it down and having a special house built specially for witches and wizards who want to be cured. I did, of course, write them back telling them this and also explaining that restraint during the transformation was necessary and that the instructions _should _be dispensed with the Potion itself upon purchase from St. Mungo's For Magical Maladies and Injuries, as well as the Ministry of Magic. _

_So, anyways, moving on from my curing werewolves from their disease, Severus proposed! Yes, I know! He wants me to marry him! I couldn't resist, I just had to say yes, he'd the only one I can ever think of wanting! I want it to be private and in England, and I'm not really sure if I want it to be a big or small wedding yet, but I do know this much – a bridal shower will most definitely be in order! He also happens to be the Headmaster of Hogwarts now, and I'm their new Potions Professor and possibly the co-head of Slytherin house. I look forward to it, but I'm nervous! Severus keeps telling me that I'll do fine since I've got the Alpha werewolf within me to help me out with that, and that I've got him for the two different times of the month. _

_So, what I'm trying to say, I guess, is… well, can I come over there for a birthday/bridal shower combined with only the family? Severus would be coming as well, of course, and I get the feeling that he is terrified of me getting lingerie… I'm fairly sure that it would be easy to become a temptress to him, but I don't really want to risk that. Anyways, can you consider my question? Does August eighteenth sound good, or is that too close to the Full moon? Severus will be able to brew the Wolfsbane for me within a day's notice, so you don't have to worry about me getting out of control, I promise._

_Also, I really need some wedding advice. How long should I wait to get married? Are the boys married yet?_

_Love, _

_Sarah_

"Werewolf!" Jennifer screamed in horror before fainting as her husband, aka: Sarah's dad, caught the letter she'd just been reading. He scanned it quickly.

"Oh, _shit_!" he yelled in shock. "Samuel! Joseph!"

SDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSD

"Something tells me that mom fainted," she smirked evilly on the second of August. "Let's see, if I get there on my birthday then I'll be eighteen, a legal adult in the Muggle World, so nobody can contest our marriage. Do you think she'll say okay, Severus?"

"You're a werewolf, she has no choice unless she wants to get bitten and get her whole family infected by you," he laughed and she stared at him in horror. "It's just a blackmail route, don't get your knickers in a twist. Twenty points from Slytherin for acting like such a prat."

"Twenty points from Slytherin for you being an ass," she shot back, and the two glared at each other.

"Forty points to Slytherin for both of you being idiots," Silvana shouted out into the Staff room as the others filed in. "Now, what's all this I hear about a new Headmaster?"

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," McGonagall said to all of the staff members who had come to the mandatory meeting. "As you can see, we have a few changes in staff now that I'm retiring."

"What?" Ron yelled out in shock, "You were serious about that?"

"So, then that means that Professor Snape is the next headmaster," Harry said calculating.

"Yes, Harry, you are correct," Minerva said with a nod. "Severus is the new Headmaster of Hogwarts. As I'm sure you've all read, Sarah is the newest and youngest Potions Mistress in all of Britain. She is also going to be filling the position that Severus will leave behind."

"But she's a werewolf!" Ron shouted angrily.

"So was Lupin," Sarah shot back, "And I am perfectly capable of brewing the Wolfsbane Potion until I reach the time limit that I need to be at in order to take AntiLycan."

"AntiLycan? Is that what you're calling the cure for Lycanthropy that you created?" Ron snorted in disgust, "You're disgusting! You were probably shagging Snape for better grades!"

"Ronald!" Hermione shouted angrily, "Shut up!"

"One more outburst out of you, Weasley, and you're fired," Severus glared, "I mean it. That _is _allowed, yes, Minerva?"

"Yes, if you can get Hagrid back for Care of Magical Creatures," she said warily.

"Charles will do," Severus smirked, "On that happy thought – Expecto Patronum!"

The staff room soon broke out into argument on whether or not Ron should have been allowed to stay and what the rules were concerning a student or faculty member's familiar, as some of them wanted to bring dogs, bats, spiders, and other pets with them instead of the normal three. In the end, it was happily permitted, with non-venomous pets allowed and for the pets to be up to date on their shots.

CWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCW

"So, What now?" Charlie was asked by his own apprentice that had just graduated.

"Nothing," he smiled before a serpent Patronus arrived. "Uh-oh."

"Charles, I need to talk to you. Not as your Potions Master or former teacher, but as the Headmaster in need of a new Teacher," Severus Snape's voice said firmly. "Also, you can blame the vacancy on your youngest brother's vulgar language. Apparate into the Shrieking Shack and you'll find a tunnel in the basement."

"Tell the others that I'm gone for the day," Charlie called over his shoulder just before apparating to the Shrieking Shack. "Okay, passage – ah hah!"

SRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSR

"Silence!" Sarah roared angrily just before Charlie knocked on the staff room door.

"Enter," Severus said calmly just before the door opened to reveal the arguing Staff Room, who had taken sides just as the armies had in the civil war. "Ah, Charles, perfect timing. Would you be interested in teaching Care of Magical Creatures?"

"Oi! That's my job, you greasy git!" Ron yelled angrily. "You're just mad cause you're an ass that nobody wants to marry!"

"I'm sure Professor – Excuse me, _Headmaster _Snape has a reason for this," Charlie said calmly, "I believe he mentioned vulgar language from your mouth in his message. I will be happy to accept, Headmaster, I just need a little time to let the other Dragon Tamers know in Romania."

"Thank you, Charles," Severus said calmly, his relief made known only by slight changes in his posture that only four people noticed. "Ronald, you may go. Or, let me rephrase that – _get off school grounds_. I do believe I made it quite clear of my intentions when I fired you for vulgar language and strong prejudice against your fellow members of staff."

"I'll be back, you greasy git," he yelled angrily as he stormed out of the room, shoving past Charlie, who stood and stared in shock and horror. "Mark my words, you and your little bitch will pay!"

"And I look forward to mauling you during a full moon should you attack me," Sarah smiled evilly, "With no use of teeth, of course, unless necessary."

"Well, aside from the fact that our school is still missing its Poltergeist, I do believe that covers everything needed," Severus said calmly, "Charles, if you'll follow me to my office, we can get started on the paperwork. Sarah, do try to fix things _before _the school term begins. I'd rather not take a leave of absence."

* * *

So… yeah. A filler chapter. I needed to fire Ron. I just hate him for some strange reason. Maybe it's cause he's the type of guy who's obsessed with sports and drives me nuts?

Anyways, reviews? Please?


End file.
